Various toys are coming to the big screen over the next few years. Hasbro has announced they are adding another one. Hasbro toy Stretch Armstrong, is headed to the big screen in a partnership with Relativity Media. The live action movie will be about the popular 1970′s toy. But don’t expect to see it any time soon, the current projected release date is April 11, 2014.

“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Hasbro, a company whose global reach and ability to innovate has made them immensely successful in the arena of brand re-imagination– as evidenced by their legacy of creating such franchises as Transformers and G.I. Joe,” said Tooley, “We look forward to bringing Stretch Armstrong to audiences worldwide.”

No director or actors were attached to the press release. But I found an article from last year that puts Taylor Lautner with the project. But that was when it was attached to a different production house. Twilight hunk, Lautner is no longer attached to the project.

Alice in Wonderland

Can you believe that IMDB has been around for 10 years? IMDB is the go to site when you are arguing with a friend about “that guy” in “that movie”. I know for me it has settled many an argument.

To celebrate 10 years, IMDB has made Top 10 over 10 years lists. I have to say that I don’t agree with their Top 10 most anticipated. How is GI Joe or Expendables 2 on that list? What are your thoughts on their lists?

Top 10 Stars of the Last 10 Years*

1. Johnny Depp
2. Brad Pitt
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Tom Cruise
5. Natalie Portman
6. Christian Bale
7. Scarlett Johansson
8. Jennifer Aniston
9. Keira Knightley
10. Emma Watson
*Highest average IMDbPro STARmeter ranking over the last 10 years.

Top 10 Films of the Last 10 Years*

1. The Dark Knight
2. Donnie Darko
3. Pulp Fiction
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
8. Twilight
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10. The Godfather
*Highest average IMDbPro MOVIEmeter ranking over the last 10 years.

Top 10 TV Series of the Last 10 Years*

1. Lost
2. House M.D.
3. Grey’s Anatomy
4. Heroes
5. How I Met Your Mother
6. 24
7. Glee
8. True Blood
9. Dexter
10. Gossip Girl
*Highest average ranking over the last 10 years.

Top 10 Most Anticipated In-Production Movies*

1. The Dark Knight Rises
2. Men in Black III
3. The Dictator
4. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
5. The Expendables 2
6. Battleship
7. The Avengers
8. Rock of Ages
9. The Hunger Games
10. Prometheus

Kevin Smith is amazing live. I have seen him perform his live Q&A for the past 12 years at San Diego Comic Con. I go and see him do his Hollywood Babbleon podcast live. He’s just an amazing entertainer. But not everyone can make it to a convention to see him live. Now you have a better chance and you should take it.

NCM Fathom and AK27 Productions bring you a live on night event like nothing you have seen before. On February 2, 2012 at 9:30pm EST, the theaters will host a special one night live event of Jay & Silent Bob get old. Then Kevin Smith will take some Q&A questions.

The event will be seen at over 300 theater. You can visit AK27Productions to find a theater by you.

“Doing something like this means you can get the event into a theater in a very small town. We may have never been to that small town, but we can be with this Q&A event,” said Smith. “I can be like ‘Hey man, I’m going to be on the screen soon, pop into a theater and check it out.’ That’s kind of magical. The very ability to do that on a wider level now, instead of just doing it one night only in this city, in this theater, … I look forward to it!”

I can’t recommend this enough! I know I will be in attendance!

Photo courtesy of http://www.anbmedia.com/

Innovation First International, known for their clever robotic HEXBUGS has partnered up with Moshi Monsters creator Mind Candy to produce sickeningly adorable Bobble Bots!

These bobble headed monsters, set to release in March of this year, will feature the same nano technology, and customizable environments that HEXBUG boasts, but will also integrate the online community, and cute collectable Moshlings that makes Moshi Monsters so popular.

With an estimated 50 million users worldwide, Moshi Monsters is a kid safe (ages 6-12) online community, where users can adopt and customize one of six Moshlings, they can then solve puzzles and play games to earn the community’s currency; Rox, as they navigate Monstro City. Users are also allowed limited and filtered interaction with other users. The basic version is free, with the option to purchase a membership which offers additional bonuses, as usual.

Bobble Bots will have its own similar site, and their habitats will resemble those found in Monstro City – allowing users of the site some familiarity. Each Bobble Bot will also come with a code to unlock extra fun goodies on the website, ensuring interest in online play remains.

As of right now the Bobble Bots website is void of information (their Facebook page is the same, but still worth following to get updates when they happen) but they do offer an option to sign up for their newsletter and with launch just a few short months away, information is bound to start trickling down soon.

I, personally, can’t wait to check these out when they release!

I don’t make a very scary Darth Maul do I? Well it’s super easy to see if you do! Explore your inner dark side by visiting StarWars.com and checking out the free Darth Maul Me application. This can also be run on your iPhone.

Darth Maul Me takes a picture of you which you can line up to make sure it looks okay and then you select which Darth Maul you would like to be. I did another one where it just made my eyes red and glowing. The Sith power was flowing within me.

Check it out because it’s easy to do and fun. You can also easily post to Facebook and let others comment on how evil you look. Unfortunately, I am not very evil as my friends have commented. No smiles allowed for Siths.

First, let’s consider Grimm, which is the story of Nick, the last descendant in a long line of Grimms that have been charged with protecting humanity from the very real monsters of fairy tales. His aunt comes to tell him of his destiny in the first episode. She has been trying to keep him safe by keeping this news from him, but she is dying of cancer, so she can no longer hide it from him, especially since the group that exterminates Grimms will be coming for him now. Why didn’t they come for him before? No clue.There seem to be a lot of plot points they gloss over a bit in this show–like, why would his aunt tell him that he needs to get rid of his girlfriend if their family is the only one that can protect humanity, and he is the last descendant? But, if she really thinks he shouldn’t marry, why didn’t she discourage the relationship well before the night he planned to propose? She had to know she would die some day, if not early from cancer. I mean, one of the villians could have overpowered her at any time, and then she would not have been able to pass anything on to Nick.

Nick is a homicide detective, so the show is basically a crime drama with storybook elements. There is no fairy tale as the arc of the series, it is just Nick interacting with various fairy tale villians, who for some reason all seem to live and work around Portland, Oregon, where Nick works. There are some interesting explorations of what it means to fit into a human world, and whether the various species (big bad wolves, bears, etc.) should supress their evil past and learn to get along with the humans who have populated the world, but for the most part, it isn’t terribly different from a show like Criminal Minds. Not that that is a bad thing, just not as much a retelling of fairy tales as I was expecting.

In contrast, the premise of Once Upon a Time is completely mythic: the evil queen has banished Snow White and her prince to live in a terrible place where there are no happy endings, except for her own. The fairy tale characters do not remember their true identities, and time has been frozen for them. They cannot leave the town of Storybrooke, Maine, but they do not get any older. However, Rumpelstiltskin told Snow White before the curse took effect that her daughter with the Prince, Emma, would return to save them when she turned 28, and they were able to construct a magical wardrobe that allowed Emma to escape the curse. This is a very cool way to create a fairy tale arc while still bringing the story into our modern world.

But even more importantly, I like the characters better. I mean like in the sense that they are more fully formed, interesting characters, not always that I actually like them. The biggest, most obvious difference between the shows is the much stronger female characters in Once Upon A Time. Snow White wields a sword in the fairy tale world and maintains a tough disbelief in the idea of soul mates in both worlds, despite the fact that her true love with Prince Charming is the center of the story. The prince, meanwhile, has his own interesting inner life, starting with his insistence that he has a name, not just the attribute of being charming. Emma is street smart and resourceful, and seems believably someone who could precipitate the final battle with an evil queen. In Grimm, Nick’s aunt does seem pretty impressive, but she is killed off quickly. Nick’s girlfriend isn’t fleshed out as a serious character, at least not in the first few episodes that I saw–she is just a source of angst for Nick–should he propose or get rid of her to save her from the danger? He doesn’t tell her about this problem, though, he just looks sadly at the engagement ring he bought for her when she is not around, hiding it quickly if she comes in the room.

Of course, both shows have been accused of being a rip-off of Bill Willingham’s Fables series, especially Once Upon a Time, which matches more closely with the idea of fairy tale characters in a modern setting, and has a history with ABC having purchased the rights to the series back in 2008. There are certainly many similarities in the overall concept, but that seems to be somewhat unavoidable when you have concepts set in the same general worldview. There also seem to be some big differences in the plot and ideas that make it seem like good sense to have this as a separate show, so that it isn’t changing the Fables storyline unrecognizably.

If you have missed Once Upon a Time so far, ABC is airing most of them in a marathon on New Year’s Day. If you have other things going on for the day itself, it is an excellent chance to TiVo just about everything and catch up before the season resumes on January 8th.

Who’s going to be watching with me?

Last night TLC premiered Geek Love a tv show featuring geeks trying to find love at a comic book convention center. The show occurs at New York Comic Con at a speed dating session.

Ryan Glitch, is the founder of Sci-Fi Speed Dating. He helps other geeks looking for love and explains how it’s the best place to find a mate because they understand. I’ve always encouraged my single geek friends to attend conventions to meet people. It makes perfect sense. While I’m geeking out over that cute chocobo plushie, a guy would have the perfect opportunity to come over and chat Final Fantasy with me. It’s an obvious lead in for a conversation. Which is the toughest part in meeting others to date.

Glitch says, “Everybody is looking for that special someone. And here are people who happen to be extreme fans. Step into our world for a little bit… The thing these people all have in common is that they’re really passionate about the thing they’re into. Even if they don’t like the same stuff, they’ve got a huge passion they can build from. It’s what makes my speed dating work a little better than the average.”

Currently Glitch does not make money from the speed dating, but hopes the series could take off. The show follows three particular geeks and their speed dating experience. In the first show we follow Sal who is dressed as Iron Man. He works at GameStop, has his own place and can’t seem to find a girl who understands him. We follow a girl who loves Harry Potter and bonds with a guy over his Tardis t-shirt and a guy that only talks in Wookie. The second episode featured a Boba Fett looking for Star Wars true love which happened to have with the other featured girl. The third girl made her own Robin suit and found a nice guy to talk with. The show follows a few of the speed dates and then an after date if they have one.

I have to say that I approached the show with a feeling of negativity. Last thing I want to see is TLC making fun of cosplaying nerds at a convention trying to find love. But this show surprised me. I found myself cheering my fellow geeks on in their quest for true love. There were moments that were so cute I had to squee. I didn’t care for Glitch and his narrations, but the show overall has promise.

With or without the show, the message is that conventions are the best place to meet people that have the same interests as you.

The wait is almost over! I was so sad when Project Runway All Stars was delayed. But now the new date is approaching! The show starts Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime. Basically 13 past Project Runway contestants will get a second shot at proving that they are the best. Neiman Marcus is a sponsor for the show and to kick things off, they have a scheduled meet and greet.

Tim Gunn will not be on this show and he explains in an interview on AOL that they were filming Season 9 at the same time as All Stars which was a bit too much for him to handle.

“It may be a failing of mine, but when I’m with something, I’m there 150 percent,” Gunn continued. “I couldn’t possibly have a brain that’s going back and forth between those two workrooms of designers. I was already totally committed to the Season 9 designers, and I couldn’t disappoint them or fail them.

In honest Tim Gunn fashion, he admitted in that interview that there are a few all stars he’s happy he’s not working with again.

Below are the dates and All Stars list:

The designers from Project Runway All Stars will be at five Neiman Marcus stores as follows:

Neiman Marcus Atlanta – Thursday, December 8
7:00-8:00 p.m. ET
3393 Peachtree Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30326
Anthony Williams – Project Runway Season Seven, Fifth Place
April Johnston – Project Runway Season Eight, Fifth Place

Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills – Thursday, December 8
7:00-8:00 p.m. PT
9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Michael Costello – Project Runway Season Eight, Fourth Place
Gordana Gehlhausen – Project Runway Season Six, Fourth Place
Mila Hermanovski – Project Runway Season Seven, Second Runner-up
Rami Kashou – Project Runway Season Four, Runner-up
Jerell Scott – Project Runway Season Five, Fourth Place
Sweet P/Kathleen Vaughn – Project Runway Season Four, Fifth Place

Neiman Marcus Denver – Thursday, December 8
3:00-4:00 p.m. MT
3030 East 1st Avenue, Denver, CO 80206-5629
Mondo Guerra – Project Runway Season Eight, First Runner-up

Neiman Marcus Paramus – Saturday, December 10
12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
503 Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ 07652
Austin Scarlett – Project Runway Season One, Fourth Place
Elisa Jimenez – Project Runway Season Four, 10th Place

Neiman Marcus Westchester – Saturday, December 10
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
2 E. Maple Ave, White Plains, NY 10601
Austin Scarlett – Project Runway Season One, Fourth Place
Elisa Jimenez – Project Runway Season Four, 10th Place

I so wish I was in Denver so I could meet Mondo! For me this show is a showdown between Mondo and Austin. It’s going to be AWESOME! Who are you rooting for out of the All Stars?

Retailers broke sales records this past Thanksgiving Weekend. But the weekend did not go by without controversy. Stores started opening earlier than midnight on Thanksgiving day to try and get a start before their competitors. While the blogsphere went crazy on these retailers for not allowing their workers to enjoy a day with their family, it appears that this trend may start even earlier next year. 226 million people went out and shopped over the weekend. Money talks and retailers cannot be happier to climb out of the long-suffering economy of late.

Cyber Monday started in November of 2005 when a store used it as a tagline. We face another Cyber Monday today and retailers are excited in hopes that this year will be even larger than last. Cyber Monday sales are restricted to the online presence for the retailers. So many people shop on Cyber Monday that office productivity is definitely affected.

Sunday, I was working on the Cyber Monday post for GamingAngels and kept running into something that not only felt weird but really bothered me. I’m not against using tools to or fake holidays to attract shoppers. I no longer go to Black Friday midnight deals, but did venture out on Friday. I used the sales to get deals on items for myself and my husband. Sales changed throughout the day depending on the time of day and lines were an hour long at times.

Most of the sales I went through for Cyber Monday were actually for more than one day. Anywhere from a Two day sale to a week. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of Cyber Monday? Which historically is a one day sale online where people can expect to find good deals. If you offer these sales for a week…isn’t it just a normal weekly sale? It also made me wonder if these sales are actually good deals, or just normal sale prices disguised as a good deal. I know retailers are desperate to make sales, but it comes off disingenuous. With the economy still reeling, I know people are anxious to get good deals for the holidays. Hopefully they will take other measures to save. Our family is choosing to pick one other person to buy a gift for with a set limit. Yes, you don’t get many gifts that way but you also save money and lesson the stress from shopping.

*What are you doing for the holidays? Did you shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday? Do you plan to shop online during Cyber Monday or this week?*