Murdoch Mysteries

Episode #2 of the Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs was short and sweet, running only two and a half minutes.  After a short recap, we learn another murder has taken place. Our heroes find a hieroglyphic journal, which with some painstaking effort, is translated into english. We also meet “The Stout-Hearted Enforcer” Inspector Thomas Brakenreid. They learn that an angry deity “is coming” and find themselves face to face with something from beyond the grave.

The Verdict
The visuals of this episode were just as good as the first, and the pulp feel continues to entertain. Because of the short length, the second episode seemed a bit rushed and a little disjointed from the first. Still, I’m looking forward to some more character interaction and some twists in the murder plot.

Our Episode #3 recap will be up later this week. In the mean time, tell us what you think in the comments. 

Watch Webisode #2 of  The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs HERE

Top 5 Moments of Episode 10~Fire and Blood

5. Jon Makes a Choice

Context: Jon learns of Ned’s death and Robb’s march south. He abandons his post and rides off in the middle of the night, only to be caught by Sam and the rest of his Night’s Watch posse.

Should I stay or should I go now?

 Lord Commander Mormont: Honour made you leave. Honour brought you back.
Jon: My friends brought me back.
Lord Commander Mormont: I didn’t say it was your honour.

Reasoning: Another hard choice for Jon snow. Kit Harrington plays Jon with the right amount of arrogance and inner turmoil. The black brothers are truly becoming brothers. John Bradley’s Sam is perfection. James Cosmos conveys the gravitas of the threat beyond the wall.

4. Crowning a New King

Context:   The men of the North can’t agree on which King to back, so they make their own.

Oh I just can't wait to be king!

Reasoning: This is a game changing decision. Crowning Robb King of the North means the 7 Kingdoms are once more divided.  This is no longer a war between families or for honour or revenge.  The North has now changed its loyalties and that is something that is hard to undo. Michelle Fairley’s reactions are that of any mother-pride and fear. This week’s tTop 5 might be just gushing about all of the actors, but it’s hard not to. Game of Thrones truly has a fantastic cast.

3. Rock to the Face

Context: Jaime receives a visit from lady Catelyn Stark. She doesn’t appreciate his sense of humour and hits him in the face with a rock.

I wanna Rock!

Jaime: I do like violent women.
Catelyn: I will kill you tonight, ser. Pack your head in a box and send it to your sister.

Reasoning: Catelyn isn’t taking all this lying down. She will kill them all, but first she wants answers directly from the horse’s mouth.  Jaime admits he tried to kill Bran but won’t sell out his sister.  He talks tough, but there is something in Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s eyes that tell you he’s not so sure. Again, love for both actors.

2. Sansa Wants to Make Him Fly

Context: Joffrey forces Sansa to view the severed heads of her father and septa, then has his man beat her. Before Sansa can push the bastard off the bridge, the Hound steps in (and San/San shippers rejoice).

Hit me with your best shot

The Hound:  Save yourself some pain girl. Give him what he wants.

Reasoning: Did you ever think you’d feel bad for Sansa? She may be a spoiled, naive, little girl, but NOBODY deserves to be betrothed to Joffrey. The character finally realizes that life isn’t a fairytale,and ever suggest that our retched little king deserves to be beheaded by Robb.  Good for you Sansa, and good for you Sophie Turner. We can’t wait to see what you can do next season!

1. Dragons!

Context: Dany burns a witch alive on Drogo’s funeral Pyre and climbs in herself. Only her clothes burn. When the flames die down Dany is found naked with three baby dragons.

Well, I'm Hot Blooded, check it and see

.

Reasoning: They did it! They created good-looking CGI dragons on a TV budget! Granted, it’s an HBO budget, but still pretty damn impressive.  I’d give up a couple of battle scenes any day for a better dragon effect, especially because they become more important as the series moves forward. The image of Dany standing with the dragons was breathtaking, and while I’m not sure if it was as emotional as the ending of episode 9, it definitely left the audience wanting more. Cheers to Game of Thrones for being a superb adaptation and a truly brilliant television show.  It’s going to be hard to wait for season 2. Who’s picking up the books in the mean time?

Don’t agree with this list?  What scenes did we miss?  Tell us in the comments.

Check out the rest of our Game of Thrones Articles:
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 10~Fire and Blood
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 9~Baelor
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 8~The Pointy End
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 6~A Golden Crown
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Daenerys Targaryen Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Ned Stark Moments
Game of Thrones: Getting Past the Fantasy
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Arya Moments

Not so much scared as utterly utterly confused...

Director Álex de la Iglesia’s film, The Last Circus (Balada Triste de Trompeta) seems to have all this and more. Winner of Best Screenplay and best director at the Venice Film Festival (2010) and a selection of the Toronto International Film Festival (2010), The Last Circus will be opening August 12 (2011) in select theatres. The new red-band trailer gives a taste of the chaos to come. I’m not one for copy and pasting press releases but this one is so pitch perfect I have to relay it in full. I have never, in my life, laughed so hard reading a movie synopsis.

1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A “Happy” circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. This absurd and disturbing scenario raises the curtain on a twisted tale of love, revenge, and psychopathic clowns that could only spring from the mind of filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia.
 
Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime.  Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father’s career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life – he’s simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment.
 
It is here that he meets Natalia, a gorgeous acrobat, and abused wife of Sergio. Javier falls deeply in love with Natalia and tries to rescue her from her cruel and violent husband, unleashing Sergio’s jealousy. But Natalia is torn between her affection towards Javier and her lust for Sergio.
 
With neither man willing to back down, this twisted love triangle evolves into a ferocious battle between Sad Clown and Happy Clown, escalating to unbelievable heights in this absurd, shocking, irreverent and unforgettable film.

See?  It’s brilliant. It’s absurd. Confusing. Ridiculous. And now I want to watch this movie.  For now we’ll have to settle for the trailer. View the Red Band Trailer HERE

This film may not be for everyone but it already has the makings of a cult classic. Who knows, maybe it’ll help ease your fear of clowns…yeah…not likely.

For more information visit the Last Circus Official Site: http://www.thelastcircusmovie.com/
 or Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/thelastcircus 

(Thanks to our friends at Ginsberg / Libby  for the use of the press release and image)

Top 5 Moments of Episode 9~Baelor

5. Jorah Gets Lucky

Context: Drogo is near death after last week’s fight. One of his bloodriders does not take kindly to Dany’s use of blood-magic and threatens the Khaleesi and her unborn child. Jorah decides its time to put on his armor.

If only that sword was Longclaw...

Reasoning: Jorah Mormont is a character who never jumped off the page for me, but Iain Glen brings the disgraced knight to life.  Although much of this episode’s Dany-centric plot was poorly paced (so…how far along is she?) this scene stands out.  Jorah shows his skill with a sword (and with a little luck) takes down the Dothraki rider with a swift slice to the face. We also see his willingness to protect Dany, even though he’s been spying for the crown. The Dothraki might be badass, but now they know why armor is a good idea.

4. Jon Isn’t the only One with Problems

Context:   Jon gets word that his brother Robb is marching south and contemplates breaking his vows and joining him.

Is it like looking in a mirror Jon?

Maester Aemon: If the day should ever come that your lord father should have to choose between honour on the one hand and those he loves on the other, what would he do?
Jon: He’d do whatever was right.

Reasoning: Jon has his emo moments, but there is usually someone there to pull him back from the brink of black eye-liner and Bright Eyes songs.  In this episode, it was Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughn). The blind old man calls Jon to feed the ravens after hearing of Robb’s declaration of war.  Jon shouts and pouts that no one understands, but Aemon puts him in his place. The old man’s duty and honour was tested too, when Robert rebelled and killed Aerys, Rhaegar, and his children, and before when Aemon himself could have claimed the throne.  It seems Dany isn’t the last Targaryen after all.

3. Tyrion Introduces Westeros to ‘I Never’

Context: Tyrion learns he will be placed at the vanguard during the battle and decides that drinking and whoring is the best way to spend his last night on Earth.

Next can we play spin the bottle?

Tyrion: First, my father had Jaime tell me the truth. The girl was a whore, you see. Jaime had arranged the whole thing. The road, the rapers, all of it. He thought it was time I had a woman. After my brother confessed, my father brought in my wife and gave her to his guards.

Reasoning: What’s more fun than Westerosi drinking games?  After losing at flame holding, and refusing to play any game that could cost him his fingers, Tyrion introduces Bronn and  his new prostitute, Shae, to his version of ‘I Never’. Tyrion guesses things about your past. If he’s right you drink.  If he’s wrong he does. He quickly pegs Bronn for a beaten killer who has spent time beyond the wall (?!) but can’t place Shae in his Rolodex of whore clichés. Shae turns the table on Tyrion and forces him to confess his one encounter with love, and again proves just how awful Tywin Lannister can be. If Peter Dinklage doesn’t get an Emmy nom, I’ll be truly surprised.

2. Robb Bests the Kingslayer

Context: After agreeing to wed one of Walder Frey’s ugly daughters, Robb executes a remarkable plan to take down the Lannisters.

Robb Stark 1 Jaime Lannister 0

Robb: If we do it your way, Kingslayer, you’d win. We’re not doing it your way.

Reasoning: Young Robb seems to be following in his father’s footsteps and becoming quite a formidable warlord. Tywin’s scout brought news of 20 thousand men coming their way but in truth Robb sent 2 thousand and used the remainder to bring down the Kingslayer. Robb’s men drop Jaime Lannister at the feet of Catelyn Stark.  Even as a prisoner Jaime jokes and grins that arrogant smile.  Jaime hopes Robb is young, naive, and vain enough to agree to a trial by combat, one on one-Jaime vs Robb, to end the war. Robb isn’t fooled for a second and drags the Lannister away to be put in chains. The scene is special because Robb stays grounded and reminds the audience of cost of war.  He feels remorse for sending 2 thousand men to their death but knows it needed to be done. He speaks to his men and we remember that wars are not fought by nameless armies, but people and actions in the Game of Thrones world always have consequences.

1. The Beheading of Ned Stark

Context: Ned Stark is brought to the Sept of Baelor to confess his crimes. When he does, things do not go as planned.

Joffrey: My mother wishes me to let Lord Eddard join the Night’s Watch. Stripped of all titles and power, he would serve the realm in permanent exile, and my lady Sansa, has begged mercy for her father,  but, they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your king treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, bring me his head.

Reasoning: Only the good die young. Goodbye Ned. We’ll miss you.  This scene had the emotional impact readers wanted.  Sean Bean plays Ned’s final moments with grace and humanity and the direction and cinematography was really well done.  The power of the scene came from the reaction of Ned’s two daughters (both actresses did a wonderful job).  Sansa and Arya may have little in common but their fear, anger, and sadness in this scene made this one of the most moving character deaths i have ever seen. Oh…and Joffrey is a dick.

Don’t agree with this list?  What scenes did we miss?  Tell us in the comments.

Check out the rest of our Game of Thrones Articles:
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 10~Fire and Blood
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 9~Baelor
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 8~The Pointy End
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 6~A Golden Crown
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Daenerys Targaryen Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Ned Stark Moments
Game of Thrones: Getting Past the Fantasy
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Arya Moments

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Medieval Horror/Fantasy
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy

Geek Connection: Perlman is Hellboy. Cage named his son Kal-El
Reviewed By: NerdVortex

I Would Describe This Movie As… A generic Nicolas Cage movie dressed as a medieval epic, and quite possibly a joke on all of us.

See It If… You can’t pass up Nicolas Cage (and everyone else) attempting a half-assed British accent, want to watch something mind-numbingly silly with a bunch of drunk people, or it’s free.

Skip It If… You’re sane, hate Nicolas Cage, or can’t look past cavernous plot-holes.

Final Thought: Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman should be in a buddy-cop movie together, like Lethal Weapon…but not nearly as good.

Final Score: 5.2/10

Murdoch Mysteries

CityTv aired their first episode of the new webseries Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs, earlier this week, and as promised, the Nerd Vortex is here to review it.  While I’m not usually a fan of motion comics (really animate it or keep it on the page, I always say) Curse of the Pharaohs does something a little different.  The webisode jumps between live action and animation seamlessly and uses the latter to emphasize character, drama, and move through scene transitions.  But, let’s take a closer look.

The Plot
The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs is a story within a story (meta!).  Constable George Crabtree (Johnny Harris), the title character’s eager sidekick, writes pulp style crime fiction on the side, and these webisodes bring one of them to life. Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Crabtree and Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) find themselves with 6 dead Egyptologists, an empty coffin, and some deadly spores. Through the 13 part series, they must find the unsavoury culprit who committed these grisly murders, and find their lost mummy (which may or may not be loose in downtown Toronto).

The Execution
The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs amps up the pulpy nature of the early penny dreadfuls.  The characters are strict archetypes (and from what I gather, differ from the Murdoch Mysteries core canon).  Murdoch becomes The Fearless Leader; Crabtree becomes The Stalwart Sidekick; and Dr Julia Ogden becomes The Dangerous Beauty.  They use all the expectations of the genre and heighten them with sometimes silly dialogue and over dramatic readings (think a more over the top and light-hearted version of Mark Waid’s Ruse…set in Canada). The webisode also does a great job of introducing these characters.  I’ve never watched Murdoch Mysteries (meant to but it just never happened) and had no trouble following along.  They also morph the live action characters into their animated counterparts (a great effect) so there is no confusion.

The Verdict
Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs is a fun, light-hearted, pulp experience that could be a great introduction to the world of Murdoch Mysteries. The series doesn’t take itself too seriously and plays with the genre. If you like Holmesian mystery, take 5 minutes and watch the first episode of The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs.
And did I mention the artwork is great? The artwork is great.  Francis Manapul captures the perfect feel for the series. 

I’ll be watching Episode 2.  Let’s see if it can keep my interest.

Watch Webisode #1 of  The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs HERE

Top 5 Moments of Episode 8~The Pointy End

5. Ned Talks to a Spider

Context: After an accusation of treason and the slaughter of all his men, Ned finds himself deep in the dungeons of the Red Keep.  Varys, the Spider, pays him an unexpected visit.

This Spider isn't itsy-bitsy

 Varys: I trust you know you’re a dead man, Lord Eddard.

Reasoning: Varys asks one of the questions we were all dying to know the answer of. Why on Earth would Ned tell Cersei he knew the truth?  Ned answers in a truly Ned way.  It was mercy and honour and all those things that make Ned, Ned.  But in Westeros, truth, justice, and honour doesn’t mean success, and seeing the great Lord Eddard defeated in a dungeon brings that to the forefront of the series.

4. Bran Talks to Trees

Context:   Robb heads south so Bran does the only thing he can do to help his big brother-pray. The wildling, Osha, joins him, as does an inexplicably naked Hodor

I think we know what Osha was praying for...

Osha: Your brother will get no help from them where he’s going. The old Gods have no power in the South. The weirwoods there were all cut down a long time ago. How can they watch if they have no eyes.

Reasoning: This may be the weirdest instance of sex-position in Game of Thrones yet.  Osha and Bran discuss the finer points of Westerosi religion and Hodor shows up without pants. Natalia Tena (Osha) and Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran) work well off of each other and get a moment to shine.

3. John Snow, Zombie Hunter

Context: The Night’s Watch  bring two dead bodies back to Castle Black but something doesn’t smell right to Sam.

You probably should have listened to Sam.

Lord Commander Mormont: You may be a coward Tarly, but you’re not stupid.

Reasoning: Remember the ice zombies from the first episode? They’re back! Lassie (Ghost) senses something and Jon goes to Mormont’s chamber to investigate. The scene ups the horror factor and Kit Harrington shows off his sword fighting skills.

2. Robb Gets Some Character Development

Context: Instead of bending the knee to evil King Joffrey, Robb calls his father’s Banner-men to war. Some of them have reservations about following a green boy into battle but a few missing digits smooth things over.

Robb: My Lord Father taught me it was death to bear steel against your liege lord. Doubtless, the Great Jon only meant to cut my meat for me.

Reasoning: Robb Stark hasn’t had much to do all season but he’s quickly making up for it.  Richard Madden gives Robb strength and humanity in this episode. He’s not the cookie cutter ‘older brother’ anymore.  We see Robb take charge of his army and with a little help from his Direwolf (everything is better with direwolves) he proves his worth to his banners.  He’s a lord in the making. Now, will he follow in Ned’s footsteps?

1. Syrio Pulls an Obi-Wan

Context: The castle is in chaos but Arya continues her dancing lessons. When the Lannister guards come to take her away, Syrio shows them why he was the first sword of Braavos.

Arya: Come with me. Run.
Syrio: The First Sword of Braavos does not run. What do we say to the god of death?
Arya: Not today.

Reasoning: This fan-favourite moment from the book was brought to life perfectly on screen. Syrio defeats a room full of Lannisters (with a wooden sword!) before telling Ayra to run and save herself. Character exits seem to find their way onto our top 5s more often than not, and now we wave goodbye to Syrio.  It seems our lovable dancing master has been struck down. Whether he becomes more powerful than we can possibly imagine, is yet to be seen.

Honourable Mention: Drogo Continues to Be Badass

Context: The Dothraki raid a village and Dany refuses to let the men have their spoils of war. One warrior goes to Drogo for support. In a surprise twist, Drogo sides with his wife.

Yep, still badass

Reasoning: He rips out a guy’s tongue through his throat!  That’s something you don’t see everyday. Drogo seems to enjoy it when his attacker’s blade bites his skin. Plus, hearing the gruff warrior call Dany ‘Moon of my life’ is kind of adorable.

And One More: Tyrion Gets a Following

Context:Tyrion and Bronn get a visit from the Hill Tribes and decide to take them home to meet daddy.

I'm guessing he's either an enchanter or says Ni!

Don’t agree with this list?  What scenes did we miss?  Tell us in the comments.

Check out the rest of our Game of Thrones Articles:
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 10~Fire and Blood
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 9~Baelor
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 8~The Pointy End
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 6~A Golden Crown
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Daenerys Targaryen Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Ned Stark Moments
Game of Thrones: Getting Past the Fantasy
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Arya Moments

Don’t believe me?  Check out his gallery.

The Murdoch Mysteries follows Detective William Murdoch as he solves crime in Toronto in the 1890s.  But unlike other detectives, he uses unusual methods, including fingerprinting and blood testing.  He’s a man before his time. For more information about the show visit their website at http://www.murdochmysteries.com/  In fact, visit the site anyway (if you have Flash).  The visual layout of the site is entertaining on its own.

Murdoch Mysteries: Curse of the Lost Pharaohs was producted by Smokebomb Entertainment and financed by Bell Broadcast New Media Fund and the Canada Media Fund. A new webisode will be available every Wednesday morning (and following tonight’s premiere) for 13 weeks. 

Head over to CityTv to watch the TRAILER and visit The Nerd Vortex each week for our Curse of the Lost Pharaohs recap. 

Canadian television paired with a Canadian artist, what could be better?

Rooney Mara on W Magazine as Lisbeth Salander

David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is coming to theaters this December, but eager fans got their first glimpse of the American adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-sellers this week from an unlikely place–youtube.  A red-band trailer has surfaced on the internet showcasing Fincher’s vision of the dark (really dark story).  Quick edits and a thumping soundtrack (Trent Reznor & Karen O’s cover of The Immigrant Song) quickly tell us this will be no happy-go-lucky Christmas movie.  The film has a lot to live up to. The Swedish  film company Yellow Bird has already completed a hugely successful trilogy based on these novels, earning Noomi Rapace numerous awards for her portray of Lisbeth Salander.  Fincher’s version stars Rooney Mara, and Daniel Craig, and the footage give me hope that this version will do the story justice and keep it just as gritty as the original.

Still, The Hollywood Reporter seems to think something is fishy with this ‘leaked’ footage.  Does this cam version seem to perfect to you?  Could this be a viral attempt from Sony themself? Your guess is as good as mine.  Watch the trailer below and judge for yourself.