‘Interior Chinatown’ vs the Asian American Canon, Part I

November 22, 2024January 7, 2025 Dominic Mah

An Epigraph, Which May Be Innocently Mistaken For Deep Eastern Wisdom:

A “trope” isn’t a bad thing. If we (fashionably) describe a show as “trope-y” we might mean stereotype-ish. Stereotypes usually come from archetypes, and stereotypes aren’t inherently a bad thing, but they often end up being tropey… in the undesirable way. Then there’s typecasting, which on-screen Asians contend with often, and we’ll get into that, below. Fade up to:

Movies, Reviews1 Comment

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ For the First Time

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 Lauren Lola

Two months to go until the latest chapter of the John Wick franchise drops. I’m moving right along as I continue exploring its three predecessors for the first time.

Movies1 Comment

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘John Wick’ For the First Time

December 23, 2022December 22, 2022 Lauren Lola

In 2019, in the midst of the Keanussance, I watched and documented my thoughts and reactions to watching The Matrix for the first time. Over two years later, in the lead-up to the release of The Matrix Resurrections, I watched and reacted to its sequels and anime anthology film as well. Now I am doing so once again, but this time for a different franchise.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi1 Comment

NOC Spoiler Chat: ‘The Matrix Resurrections’

December 27, 2021December 27, 2021 Mike Manalo

The Matrix is back, baby! Last week The Matrix Resurrections hit theaters and HBO Max just in time for the holidays. And our very own Lauren Lola shared her thoughts on the film in her spoiler free review here on the site. But now that everyone has seen it, it’s time to go deeper, and break down the film and all its kung-fu goodness!

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi3 Comments

Thoughts From Watching ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ For the First Time

December 21, 2021December 21, 2021 Lauren Lola

In February 2020, a month before the initial shelter-in-place order for California went into effect for the then yet-to-be-declared COVID-19 pandemic, filming began for the fourth installment of The Matrix film franchise on the streets of San Francisco. Thinly veiled under the code name Project Ice Cream, reports circled online of sightings of film locations from all over the city; including one tracked down by yours truly.

Movies, Music, Sci Fi

New Song for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ from Emerging Artist Quantrelle Released

December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 Mike Manalo

Part of the reason why the original Matrix movies hacked their way into our hearts has to do with the killer soundtrack featured in all three films. After all, it’s difficult to picture the iconic lobby shootout scene without the Propellerheads’ “Spybreak!” playing in the background. Or the thought of Neo flying into the sky without Rage Against the Machine accompanying the image. And in the grand tradition of those classic films, The Matrix Resurrections has tapped emerging artist, Quantrelle, to do a song for the film, that everyone can see next week, on December 22!

Movies, Sci Fi

Final Trailer for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Teases the Familiar and the Unprecedented

December 6, 2021December 6, 2021 Lauren Lola

Déjà vu.

In the world of The Matrix, déjà vu usually means that there’s a glitch. It occurs when something has been changed within the code of this machine-run world.

Animation, Movies, Sci Fi1 Comment

Thoughts (and Just Thoughts) from Watching ‘The Animatrix’ for the First Time

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 Lauren Lola

With The Matrix Resurrections now less than a month away from release, it was time to make one more dive into the world of the Wachowskis’ creation, but through multiple different lenses. In 2003, the same year the second and third films came out, an animated anthology film called The Animatrix was also released. In collaboration with several Japanese animation studios, side stories, origin stories, and stories of random characters within the Matrix are explored through these nine different shorts.

Movies, Sci Fi

New Poster for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Goes Full Jesus Wick

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021 Mike Manalo

In the fourth sequel, he will come again! As you can tell, I’m having way too much fun finding biblical parallels throughout The Matrix (actually all Keanu Reeves projects). And today is no exception, as WB has just dropped a gorgeous new poster ~~of John Wick absolving his children of their sins~~ for The Matrix Resurrections. The new film, serving as a reboot/sequel of sorts, comes to theaters and HBO Max this Christmas!

Movies, Sci Fi1 Comment

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ for the First Time

October 15, 2021October 14, 2021 Lauren Lola

It’s been a little over a month now since the first trailer for the upcoming Matrix film, The Matrix Resurrections, came out. As we wait the time away for its December release, I decided to finish what I started over two years ago by watching the second and third films of the franchise.

Movies, Sci Fi1 Comment

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ For the First Time

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 Lauren Lola

Two years ago, in the midst of the Keanussance, I took the red pill and didn’t look back when I watched The Matrix for the first time. It was an intense yet awesome first showing and it has since come to be one of my favorite films.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Marvel

Hard NOC Life 234: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 Hard NOC Media

Keith, Britney, and Dominic are back on Hard NOC Life to break down the new trailer for The Matrix Resurrections and tumble down the rabbit hole of Marvel movie speculation. They also give their thoughts on the latest episode of What If and the merits of Marvel Zombies.

Movies, Sci Fi, Streaming1 Comment

Whoa! Return to The Matrix with ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Trailer

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 Mike Manalo

It’s finally here folks! After the crazy buzz from Cinema Con and a bit of Easter egg hunting from WhatIsTheMatrix.com, the trailer for the highly anticipated fourth Matrix film has dropped: The Matrix Resurrections!

Movies, Sci Fi, Streaming

New Teaser Website for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Launches

September 7, 2021September 8, 2021 Mike Manalo

It’s coming folks! Ever since the buzz came out of Cinema Con two weeks ago the world has been beaming with anticipation to return to The Matrix!

And today, fans are going to get that chance, as WB just launched WhatIsTheMatrix.com and dropped the latest teaser poster for the film as well.

Podcasts

FDI Cast 84: Kermit Gonna Croak

August 14, 2020January 1, 2021 Jamie

We finally break our cold opening record!

Continue reading “FDI Cast 84: Kermit Gonna Croak”

Hard N.O.C. Life, Movies

Hard NOC Life: Oscar Snubs and Super Villains

January 14, 2020January 30, 2020 Hard NOC Media

On Hard NOC Life this week, Dominic and Keith share their thoughts on the Academy Award nominations and break down the latest superhero movie trailers.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: Oscar Snubs and Super Villains”

Hard N.O.C. Life, Movies1 Comment

Hard NOC Life: ‘Joker’ to the Right

September 6, 2019May 8, 2020 Hard NOC Media

Shawn Taylor makes his triumphant return to Hard NOC Life, joining Keith and Dominic as they break down the week in Nerd Pop.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: ‘Joker’ to the Right”

Movies, Sci Fi5 Comments

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix’ For the First Time

June 24, 2019June 23, 2019 Lauren Lola

There is currently renewed hype and interest for Keanu Reeves. The fact that he had three films come out over the course of a month — John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, Always Be My Maybe, and as of last Friday, Toy Story 4 — probably helps a lot.

Continue reading “Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix’ For the First Time”

Fandom, Movies2 Comments

The Year of Keanu Reeves

June 11, 2019July 9, 2019 Keith Chow

If you have been a human being with an internet connection over the last several weeks, you may have noticed Keanu Reeves is kind of everywhere. From John Wick toppling the Avengers at the box office and a scene-stealing turn as Ali Wong’s lover in Always Be My Maybe, to taking fans’ breaths away at E3, Keanu’s career is hotter than ever. Like a Keannussance, if you will. But why now? I’m going to attempt to retrace each milestone in the timeline of why 2019 is the year of Keanu.

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Continue reading “The Year of Keanu Reeves”

Sci Fi, Television7 Comments

Sense8 Season2: So Many Questions

May 10, 2017May 11, 2017 Claire Light

I’m really not at all interested in reviewing or analyzing Sense8 again, but I would like to get mah nerds into a discussion about the ENORMOUS plot holes, and the weird turns this in-spite-of-it-all-compelling show has taken. So let’s just launch in, shall we? In no particular, but very SPOILERY, order:

Continue reading “Sense8 Season2: So Many Questions”

Literature, Sci Fi2 Comments

Butler, Dystopia, Propaganda, and a Way Through?

December 20, 2016December 20, 2016 Shawn Taylor

This is an excerpt from a book I started in 2008. I wanted to take a more academic approach to afrogeek and afrofuturist culture and cultural artifacts. I felt this section was important in the present, in light of our new political reality. The books is done, but I’m not sure how I feel about publishing an academic text in a time when we need information to be as clear as possible. Continue reading “Butler, Dystopia, Propaganda, and a Way Through?”

Anime, Movies, Sci Fi10 Comments

Four Hollywood Rip Offs of Motoko Kusanagi

June 17, 2015February 27, 2020 Valerie Complex

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Ghost in the Shell, (and 26 years since the manga was first published).

There is no denying the influence this film has had on Hollywood. From James Cameron to Steven Spielberg, directors have praised writer Matsume Shirow and director Mamoru Oshii for their work on the series. Ghost In the Shell was a game changer as it introduced a true Japanese post-cyberpunk world to American audiences.

Continue reading “Four Hollywood Rip Offs of Motoko Kusanagi”

Sci Fi, Streaming110 Comments

‘Sense8’ and the Failure of Global Imagination

June 10, 2015June 3, 2021 Claire Light

How do you imagine a life you could never live? Though not really a theme, this problem is at the heart of Netflix’s new original series Sense8, created by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, and heavily influenced by Tom Tykwer. Like many fantastical or science fictional premises, Sense8’s premise is a wish fulfillment: not — as is typical of this genre and the Wachowskis’ earlier work — the wish fulfillment of the disempowered middle school nerd stuffed into a locker, but rather the Mary Sue desire of a mature, white American writer/auteur who has discovered that an entire world is “out there,” one that the maker doesn’t know how to imagine.