Bears and Beets and Battlestar Galactica

BECAUSE DWIGHT ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION

By Baz Miller

Back in 2012 I found myself in a very strange place.

I was 20, had recently moved back into my mother's basement, and had recently signed up for an account on a popular online dating website after having ended a 5 year relationship with my high school sweetheart.

I met my current partner there, we had been talking for a while and I had been fairly obvious about my love of Sci Fi and character-driven dramas. He was surprised that I had never watched Battlestar Galactica.

Katee Sackhoff

I rooted around for a bit and eventually scrounged up a copy of all four glorious seasons of the 2004-2009 show, as well as two movies, and the accompanying Caprica sereis.

The problem with Battlestar Galactica is you can't simply stop watching Battlestar Galactica. Roughly 70 hours later I emerged from my mother's basement in a daze, staring warily at the toaster and wondering if my brother was a robot.

Battlestar Galactica is about space travel, and Artificial Intelligence, and People. Mostly People.

It's a show that appealed to my mildly obsessive attitude about prejudices. Gender roles, religious extremism, what makes a person a person? It's all there but it doesn't insult your intelligence by telling you what to think, or how to feel. The character's react, but because they're all amazingly flawed and kind of horrible people sometimes you don't feel like any one point of view is there to make you say "Ah yes, this is the good guy so all his opinions are on the moral high ground and I should agree with him".

Katee Sackhoff as Starbuck is a force to be reckoned with. The woman owns the show. A female character who is a badass but still has moments where she's able to be a screw up, feminine and loving. It makes you forget that Starbuck in the original series was a dude.

Mary McDonnell

The other female lead, President Laura Roslin is played by Mary McDonnell. She takes office at the beginning of the series and spends the duration of all four seasons battling a terminal breast cancer diagnosis and still finding the strength to not only manage the fractured remnants of the human race, but to serve as the democratic buffer to the show's militarist male lead (Edward James Olmos as William Adama).

Those two women (and Jaime Bamber in a fat suit) are a huge part of my love for Battlestar. It is a show that has taken the time to represent people like me, and people who I want to be like. Strong, intelligent, powerful women who are still imperfect and a little crazy sometimes.

Two years later I'm still a huge fan of the show, and have the coaster's to prove it.

Baz is a chronic doodler and has a habit of subjecting her friends to long rants about feminism, video games, and whether or not Thorin is the hottest Dwarf. She's using Capital Geek Girls to channel some of that energy. You can also find her at facebook.com/bazcave

Remembering Robin Williams

We here at Capital Geek Girls  were greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Robin Williams. A few of the writers were able to put that sadness into words to share.

Credit: Eva Rinaldi 

MARIE VICTORIA ROBERTSON

A good friend of mine posted a very apropos quote when the news broke about Robin Williams’ passing:

“A clown needn’t be the same out of the ring as he has to be when he’s in it. If you look at photographs of clowns when they’re just being ordinary men, they’ve got quite sad faces.” –Enid Blyton, Five Go Off in a Caravan

I think that sums up exactly why this death is such a shock. My favourite Robin Williams movies were always the funny (or at least, light-hearted) ones—Hook, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, etc. While I was never a huge fan of his stand-up, I know so many people who just loved his manic onstage energy and I can see why. 

He was funny, and he made so, so many people happy. There is something incredibly sad about a comedy icon fighting such severe depression that he felt suicide was his only way to find peace. How could someone who so easily brightened everyone’s lives be feeling so much darkness himself?

We can only hope he finally found his peace. His memory and his movies will always be with us.

LEE A FARRUGA

I had just spent an enjoyable evening with my girls and husband watching mindless television. I decided to check my computer for emails and updates. What I found was the news about Robin Williams – and I cried – a lot.

I grew up with his comedy and his quick wit. He made me laugh so very much. Mork and Mindy was one of my absolute favorite shows growing up. I was 13 years old. It had a huge impact on me. I have always stuck to his comedic roles likes Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage. I have never been able to watch any of his serious work. Why? Because I knew he battled demons that I didn't want to see in his serious face.

Because I see it every time my husband has a dark day due to the same demon or my youngest has a down time because she's inherited her dad's depression. I know the constant fight that's involved. I know Robin Williams fought the good fight for all his 63 years. I cried because he lost the fight. Depression won.

 

I don't generally swear but... Fuck Depression!

COURTNEY LOCKHART

In her official statement, Susan Schneider asked that we not focus on her late husband’s death. Instead, we should focus on “the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.” 

So here goes: 

When I was a kid, It was Aladdin sing-a-longs in the car, Hook screenings with my cousins, and learning the Batty Rap at recess with my best friend- I still remember most of the words to all of these to this day.

When I was a teenager, It was watching Live on Broadway for the 23rd time in my buddy’s basement. We threatened to hold an intervention to get him to watch something else, but never did.

When I was in school it was watching Awakenings to discuss ethics, What Dreams May Come in philosophy class and Flubber on the field trip coach bus. 

As an adult, it was listening to him discuss his humanity, flaws and struggles on various podcasts and talk shows, then watching my young nieces and nephew discover the magic of his movies for the first time. 

Unlike most artists that I have mourned, Robin Williams didn’t represent a singular phase of my life. His talent and brilliance were a constant. The idea that he is gone is difficult to process and it just doesn’t seem fair. 

EMILY PLUNKETT

This one hurts.

Beyond the fact that it’s Robin Williams that passed – like, THE Robin Williams who has made us piss our pants laughing for the past 40 odd years – I cannot get over the fact that we lost another soul to depression. 

As much as we didn’t know him personally, we knew his work.  For children of the ‘90’s and beyond, he is Mrs. Doubtfire, Alan Parrish, Peter Banning and the Genie. Mork, Adrian Cronauer, Patch, Sean Maguire to fans of his generation and his plethora of critically acclaimed awards.  When an artist encompasses so much of our pop culture spectrum, we feel the loss.  The world is crying right now.  I know this because my social media feeds have exploded with tributes from fans and personal friends of the actor.  

What I noticed immediately is that all the posts I’ve read are filled with reminders that we should never take depression for granted.  And I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve been there.  I know that pain and have come back from the brink; and now the whole world is reminded on such a deeply personal level that the pain of depression is so powerful and encompassing.  Williams probably knew what he had as a husband and a loving father, whose last post to Instagram was a photo of himself and his daughter as a child.  But when you’re in that much pain, it all flies out the window, and internal lies of depression takes over. 

It’s so real for so many of us, and yet it takes the death of an international superstar for us to have this conversation. 

Let us hope that this heartbreak will lead to more who suffer from mental illness and depression to seek help and for the discussion of suicide to break free of its taboo so that we don’t have to lose another beautiful spirit.  After all, the next spirit the world loses won’t be famous, but someone will have loved it as much as the world loved Robin Williams; and the cycle of heartbreak will repeat

THEA NIKOLIC

I am deeply saddened by this loss of a great talent. He was a man a tremendous abilities that the world will sorely miss.

If you, or someone you know, are battling depression or anxiety you can call the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region at 613-238-3311.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Geek Girl Review

GEEK GIRL REVIEW: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
By Marie Victoria Robertson

You know, a lot of my favourite fandoms are really ridiculous when you stop to think about them. Transformers is really just an extended toy commercial with giant robots smacking the crap out of each other, and I love it. And when you break down Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it’s even more ludicrous. And that shit is my jam.

The thing about TMNT is that the franchise wasn’t supposed to be as awesomely cheesy as it is. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and published by Mirage Studios, the original TMNT comics were both meant to be a parody, and to be kind of crazy dark. It was only when the 1987 animated series came out that kids of the 80’s like me discovered TMNT and went nuts. I can’t explain why I love TMNT, with the franchise’s bizarre mix of silliness and dark maturity, but I sure do love it.

Now, on to the movie. Spoilers ahead.

The plot is pretty typically thin— the Foot Clan, a criminal gang led by the Shredder (of course) is terrorizing New York City. Intrepid reporter April O’Neil is following Foot Clam activity in an effort to snag a serious story, in the process meeting four “vigilantes” that turn out to be the Turtles. Meanwhile, rich industrialist Eric Sachs is planning to release a toxin over NYC so his company can then release the antidote for big money. The twist? The antidote is the mutagen that created the Turtles in the first place. In this version, they and Master Splinter were lab animals intentionally injected with an experimental mutagen by none other than April O’Neil’s father, who later died in a lab fire.

My take on this movie: it’s not bad at all, and for the most part, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Go on, tell me that watching Donatello launch Raphael into a truck isn’t fun! I can see why a lot of critics are turned off by it, though. It’s definitely a movie for fans of TMNT and fans only. 

The big points:

THE TURTLES:
Oh man. They’re turtles all right (the “aliens” rumour has been thoroughly debunked, no worries). Once you get past the uncanny valley nature of their new CGI designs, the boys are actually cool as hell. Every Turtle has a unique body shape, facial features, and little touches that go way beyond the coloured masks and trademark weapons. Raphael, always my personal favourite, was a muscled badass. Donatello was the most adorkable he’s ever been. Michelangelo was pure cowabunga. I was only a bit disappointed in Leonardo, but maybe that’s because he was his usual bland self. He tends to fade a bit when contrasted with the strong personalities of the other Turtles. Overall, I loved these guys, and it was great to have so much attention paid to their brotherly interactions. That was always the best part of TMNT for me. 

APRIL O'NEIL
Megan Fox did a passable job. Not as bad as I expected, but not amazing by any means. I didn’t see April in her. I was happy enough to see that, while she wasn’t taking on Foot Clan members solo or anything, she did a decent job of not being a damsel in distress. There was some added backstory of her knowing the Turtles and Splinter when they were still lab animals and rescuing them from the fire, which added a sweet connection. 

BACKSTORY
Be warned that changes were made, especially concerning Splinter and the Shredder. I found this the most disappointing part and it contributed to the thinness of the plot.

THE SHREDDER
Okay, his armour was pretty reminiscent of Michael Bay’s Transformers design, but it didn’t do anything mechanical beyond the arm-claw extensions. Not crazy about the facial design though. The Shredder’s eyes should be visible, damn it! Also not crazy about his backstory changes. Removing his connection to Splinter and the Turtles just makes him look like a random psychotic Japanese man who is fond of fancy armour for his crime sprees. He was a pretty physically menacing villain, I’ll give him that. 

SPLINTER
Keep an eye out for the sweet flashbacks of Splinter raising his boys. From an action perspective, this is why I love CGI: we get to see how incredibly badass Master Splinter can be. He’s the only one who manages to take on the Shredder in a one-on-one fight.  

ACTION
Oh yeah, katanas and sais go flying and there’s gratuitous martial arts and long scenes of non-stop action, and it is all awesome. I mean, isn’t that kind of the point of a TMNT movie? 

So, should you see it? If you’re not a TMNT fan, I’d say skip it. You probably won’t find anything you like about it. But, if you are a TMNT fan? Worth seeing. It’s got everything a TMNT movie should have—the four Turtles in prime form, Splinter, Shredder, April O’Neil, humour, sarcasm, pizza, callbacks to previous movies/comics/series, and all the martial arts action you could want. Radical. 

Marie Victoria Robertson is a published speculative fiction writer and playwright, as well as the board president of Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative (www.jersvision.org). When all the other girls wanted to marry Johnny Depp, she wanted to run away with Worf on the Enterprise. She enjoys giant robots, time-travel paradoxes, and forcing her son to watch Futurama.

Date Night: Sci-Fi Movies for Two

DATE-WORTHY SCI-FI MOVIES
By Angela Hartwick

Whether romantic comedies make you swoon or snooze you may enjoy this alternative for your next movie date or girls night in: science fiction love stories. The fantasy genre is perhaps better known for offering geek-centric romantic storylines given its lore of princesses and knights. Science fiction though offers starry-eyed lovers the opportunity to reflect on philosophical questions premised by technological advancements. Take for instance the well-known Stepford Wives classic (or its remake). What if you had the ability to change your partner’s personality and actions? Do you have a blanket answer or does it vary depending on the level of change, whether it would benefit your partner, or whether you had their consent? There’s more to the movie than that but I love these types of post-film conversations. Here are three scifi love story recommendations that are not only great for introspection/discussion but also just plain entertaining!

TIMER

This gem of a movie was my first Netflix experience years ago, stumbled upon during low expectation browsing. What if you could know the exact moment when you will meet your soulmate? The technology is called TiMER, a wrist implant that counts down to that moment. The film’s protagonist, Oona (Emma Cauldfield), a romantic at heart, goes through the procedure but her TiMER is blank, meaning her soulmate doesn’t have one installed. Imagine dating when you know it won’t last. Would you not even bother or take advantage of your “free” time? Maybe you’d be one of those rebellious few who prefer the mystery of not knowing if/when they’ll meet their life-partner or who extract their TiMER after falling for a wrong partner. Imagine finding out it’ll take 60 years for the big day? Total conversation starter.

HER

This film tackles big stuff like what makes us human and what constitutes a relationship. Relationships are explored from the novel perspective of a man falling in love with his operating system. Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely 40-something year old going through a divorce. His new OS (voice of Scarlett Johansson) names herself Samantha and metaphorically holds his hand throughout his emotional struggles. It’s also one of the most cinematically stunning films I’ve ever seen and has a killer music score so you pretty much never want it to end. I was impressed at how well emotions were conveyed, even when you’re just listening to a voice. I can’t properly capture all questions this film entices without spoilers but let’s just say it may lead you to re-evaluate platonic relationships, evolution, and the role of the ego in a relationship.

IN YOUR EYES

In terms of genre this is more paranormal than Sci-fi, but still a less commonly thought of genre for romance. Even the release of this movie is interesting. Released online the same day as its film festival premiere, Director Joss Whedon sent surprise gifts to random early viewers worldwide such as signed film memorabilia, Apple and X-Box products and cacti. The story is about a man and a woman - Rebecca (Zoe Karzen) and Dylan (Michael Stahl-David) - who have an extraordinary connection. They can see through each other’s eyes, feel what the other feels, and hear each other when speaking aloud. It has all the charm and some of the cheesiness of a rom-com but with a fresh feel. The last scene is unexpectedly action packed. When you’ve finished watching the movie and downloading the soundtrack, you can talk about how freaking annoying it would be to have someone in your head. Props for an original love story premise and it’s carried out well (not eerie) in the film - there’s even a sort of consent required to enter the other the other person’s mind - but what if you don’t connect with this person you’re inexplicably linked to? Okay, so the introspective questions start to fall apart but it’s a charming film!

Angela is a 30-something year old mom of three kids - a baby, a school-aged kid and a teenager – and a furbaby, living in Orleans with her geek soul mate husband. She studied English Literature and Social Work but took an unexpected turn somewhere and ended up working as a policy analyst for the feds. Hobbies include reading, playing boardgames and Magic: the Gathering, cooking healthy foods, blogging, and discussing favourite tv shows and movies. She is the proud organizer of the Ottawa Geek Social Club, which strives to provide meetup opportunities that reflect the many facets of geekdom and beyond! www.ogsc.ca.

Guillermo Del Toro's "The Strain"- Geek Girl Review

TV REVIEW: GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “THE STRAIN”
By Marie Victoria Robertson

We may be starting to break free of the Twilight craze and its sexy, sparkly vampires, but it’s still going to take a lot to give vampires their scary dignity back. Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Strain” might just be what the doctor ordered.

Mía Maestro as Dr. Nora Martinez, and an unfortunate pilot

“The Strain” premiered on FX on July 13^th, 2014. We are two episodes into a slow-paced, but promising new horror series. Of course, I write this review having read the trilogy on which the series is based- “The Strain”, “The Fall”, and “The Night Eternal”, written by Guillermo Del Toro (co-authored by Chuck Hogan)—and knowing that while the story takes its time to unfold, the pace will soon be dizzying, weaving together several storylines against the backdrop of a vampire “plague” invading New York City.
In the first episode, a plane lands in NYC, with all shades but one drawn and no signs of life. 

When the CDC is called in to investigate, they find a plane full of dead passengers, with the exception of four survivors, who are soon released (despite looking pale and sickly as can be.) An elderly pawnshop owner, Abraham Setrakian, takes a keen interest in the plane, and more importantly, a wooden box that was transported on it. On the flip side, we have a rich, ill, elderly follow named Eldritch Palmer who seems on the verge of making a deal with the devil, and his oddly vampiric companion who employs Latino gangbanger Gus Elizalde to do his dirty work. 

Guillermo Del Toro has a keen eye for bizarre body horror, so it stands to reason his take on the vampire mythos comes with gruesome reimagining. His vampires don’t sparkle in the sun and don’t feed with dainty little fangs; the transformation from human to vampire is brutal, as the “vampire infection” is spread through creepy little worms, causing the host to slowly die and to grow an extending stinger from their throats (the better to drink your blood with, my dear!) 

The horror is nice, but it’s really the characters that sold me on the book trilogy, and the reason I’m excited to follow the series. Corey Stoll as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the CDC epidemiologist who is tasked with investigating the mysterious outbreak that killed the plane passengers, is pretty bland (of course he’s a recovering alcoholic and of course he’s in the middle of a divorce) and Mía Maestro is given very little to do as Dr. Nora Martinez, though she is very promising as our female lead. Sean Astin is already starting to shine as CDC administrator Jim Kent, a sweet guy who’s clearly got some interesting secrets. 

Miguel Gomez as Gus is your pretty stereotypical thug, but watching him get caught up in a vampire horror is fun to watch, and Gomez does a pretty good job with the character. Russian exterminator Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand) has only gotten one scene so far, but it’s a terrific scene, and 100% on track with how I pictured the big, sweet, unflappable character from the books. I’m hoping the series will go on for a few seasons just because I really want to see his storyline develop on-screen.  

David Bradley as Abraham Setrakian

The series’ standout character, to me, is Abraham Setrakian. Fans of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones will recognize David Bradley in the role of the vampire-hunting Holocaust survivor who has unfinished business with the Master of this whole vampire plague. To say that Setrakian is a badass grandpa is an understatement.  

As an adaptation, “The Strain” is pretty faithful so far. As a horror series, it’s pretty darn entertaining. For anyone looking to put a bit of horror back in their vampires, this is a series you’ll want to follow.  

Marie Victoria Robertson is a published speculative fiction writer and playwright, as well as the board president of Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative (www.jersvision.org). When all the other girls wanted to marry Johnny Depp, she wanted to run away with Worf on the Enterprise. She enjoys giant robots, time-travel paradoxes, and forcing her son to watch Futurama.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Geek Girl Review

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: CRITICAL MISS VIDEO REVIEW

Critical Miss Thea Nikolic was one of the people who elevated Guardians of the Galaxy to a 94 million dollar opening weekend.  If you've already seen the movie, check out her video review and in-depth analysis. 

SPOILERS AHEAD- DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE

Thea Nikolic aka Critical Miss has been cosplaying for several years and has just recently started hosting panels at various conventions about cosplay. She is also an actor, so she loves to play and act like her various characters that she loves. You can follow her cosplay shenanigans with her costuming husband at their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/criticalmissandretrojoad. You can also follow her on Twitter @HarleyQuinnBabe as well as on Instagram harleyquinnbabe. 

Ottawa Geek Hangouts: The Loft Lounge Promises Big Fun

by Jordan Danger

OTTAWA GEEK HANGOUTS: THE LOFT LOUNGE

Last week I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Mike Hopkins, co-owner of the new gaming lounge, The Loft. When I walked into the Loft (nestled on the top floor of an old stone house on Waller, just behind that blue-and-white, lighthouse-looking youth centre on the corner), I was really impressed by what I saw. Growing up geek, I’m used to the usual dungeon-like game rooms provided by some comic book and geek shops, and I expected the same; but this beautiful space is nothing like the dark smelly basements I was used to.

THE LOOK AND FEEL

The space is warm and inviting, with the natural beauty of the old building shining through. Along one long wall runs a huge length of bookshelves, housing the 784+ boardgames available for you to play while you chat, drink, and eat. It’s a cozy space while still being plenty large, and it struck me that this place doesn’t feel like your typical ‘geeky’ space—I could see bringing a ‘virgin geek’ here for an evening and being confident they’d feel just as welcome as any of us hardcore people.

HOW IT WORKS

The Loft charges a flat $5.00 fee for all guests, which provides you access to the boardgames for as long as you like. Guests are dissuaded from bringing their own games; why bring in your own and risk getting ketchup on them? Their website has an extensive library of all the games, so feel free to check in advance that they have the one you’re looking for. I’ll tell you right now, it’s pretty impressive: I even found Hungry Hungry Hippos on there. Clique-y games like Magic: the Gathering aren’t found here; there are lots of places around town, says Mike, for these types of games. The Loft is meant as a more social space, with games that anyone can quickly pick up and learn.

GEEK GIRL FRIENDLY? YES.

Owner Mike Hopkins is a really interesting fellow, and a natural supporter of the geek girl movement. He began collecting boardgames about three years ago after a life-altering surgery made it painful to sit and play computer-based games, which was his original pastime. Mike decided to make his new hobby into a full-time enterprise and credits the Toronto-based Snakes & Lattes for the inspiration. Mike and his partner knew they wanted a fair representation of women on their staff team, and actually ended up with 80% of their staff being female. You can read their bios on the Loft’s blog to learn more.

I was also really impressed to hear that all staff sign off on a non-discrimination agreement: while other staffing issues may be dealt with using the typical ‘three strikes’ approach, staff agree that any act of discrimination by a staff member against someone else based on their colour, creed, or orientation will be cause for immediate dismissal. Recognizing that Mike and Alessandro are both male, they also opted to provide all staff with the phone numbers for workplace harassment support—just in case any of their staff ever felt harassed but didn’t feel comfortable approaching their male bosses.

OVERALL: FOOD, GAMES, AND VIBE

Ambiance, games, staff, and food combined, the Loft is a definite feather in Ottawa’s geek cap. With their specialty personal pizzas and bite-size grilled cheese (so you don’t have to worry about greasy fingers while you play), this promises to be a great place to relax and enjoy the evening. They even have some vegan and gluten-free offerings, for those of us with food sensitivities.

Head on down to the loft and enjoy the ambiance, the games, and the time spent with friends. And hey, if you don’t have anyone to bring, visit the Loft on a Wednesday evening for Open Gaming night. Whether you’re a novice Scrabble kid or a hardcore settler of Katan, the Loft is your new home away from home. 

The Loft Lounge

14 Waller Street, Ottawa

theloftlounge.ca

Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor in Chief of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford commas.