Five on Friday: Favorite Bad Lip Reading Videos

Like many of you out in Internetland, I'm a peruser of YouTube. I like to start with a video and just watch similar vids until I feel like I've reached a sufficient level of WTF-ery. Case in point: Bad Lip Reading. I first came to know of BLR several years ago when they parodied the video of my dear Michael Bublé, to which he posted an amazing response video. I've been a fan ever since and love to keep up with their newest releases. Since joining YouTube on March 21, 2011, BLR has garnered 4,146,593 subscribers and 424,525,344 views. I believe it, too. Their 2012 Presidential Election videos were insanely popular and I see their pop culture parodies circulated often.

"Weird Al" Yankovic Announces Mandatory Fun Tour Dates

Yankovic is all over the place these days, recently guest starring on ABC's Galavant. He's even lending his voice to the new Adventure Time video game. It was teased on Facebook all day on Monday and Tuesday at Midnight, the dates for "Weird Al" Yankovic's Mandatory Fun tour were announced on his website. This tour comes on the heels of the immense success that Yankovic has found with the release of "Mandatory Fun," his fourteenth studio album. Yankovic has performed numerous times in and around Kentucky and this tour is no different, with the following dates on his tour:

MAY 23
RYMAN AUDITORIUM
NASHVILLE, TN

MAY 28
MURAT THEATRE AT OLD NATIONAL CENTRE
INDIANAPOLIS, IN


MAY 30
JACOBS PAVILION AT NAUTICA
CLEVELAND, OH


JUN 21
FRAZE PAVILION
KETTERING, OH


JUN 24
PALACE THEATRE
LOUISVILLE, KY


JUL 7
SOUTHERN KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
BOWLING GREEN, KY


AUG 7
TENNESSEE THEATRE
KNOXVILLE, TN

There you have it, there are plenty of chances to see the king of the musical parody this summer. His newest album is comprised of twelve songs and features parodies of Iggy Azaelea, Pharrell Williams, Lorde, and Imagine Dragons among others.

Yankovic, a geek icon, will no doubt perform song from his storied career which spans the last three decades. I'm not sure which show I'll be able to go to, but I hope to see him at the Louisville Palace because it's just after my birthday! This will be a concert that you won't want to miss, I know I'm kicking myself for not seeing him when he performed at Paramount Arts Center in Ashland.

Let me know in the comments if you're going to get tickets when they go on sale on January 27! Dates are, of course, subject to change, so be sure to keep an eye on "Weird Al's" website!

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Images courtesy:
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1867637!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/weird-al-yankovic.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Fun

My Favorite Things: The Avengers Get Jolly

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things that we all can enjoy. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

Last year, I posted a splendidly seasonal video made by James Covenant which featured a supercut of my favorite Enterprise crew singing Let It Snow. James has engaged again this year with a delightful video of Avengers getting into the Christmas spirit with some tried and true carols. There's even a special surprise!


Check back for more of My Favorite Things!

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Trailer Tuesday - The Last Five Years

We've been graced with a lot of great entertainment news over the past week or so. We got the Star Wars The Force Unleashed and Jurassic World trailers. We found out that James Bond will go up against Spectre in the new film. And there was a rather remarkable image released of Sherlock and Watson wearing period clothing in the Sherlock special due in 2015. So, yay for all that! But on today's Trailer Tuesday, I want to talk about something completely different.

Anna Kendrick has 3 movie-musicals coming out within the next 6 months. Three. Uno. Dos. Tres. We start with Stephen Sondheim's modern twist on the Grimm Brothers with Into the Woods in just a couple of weeks. Fast forward to Valentine's Day and we're delivered what is sure to be a heartbreaking look at love and loss in The Last Five Years. Then, we get pitch slapped by the Barden Bellas in May with the sequel to everyone's favorite musical about college a capella groups.

Aside from Cups, which was overplayed and lost any charm that it had in Pitch Perfect, I'm glad to see so many musicals on the scene. Annie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and a hit at the Christmas box office. I was a little apprehensive about it since Jamie Foxx is hit or miss with me, but the more trailers I see for it, the more jazzed I am. Though, bless their little hearts, the kids who appeared on the float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, including Quvenzhané Wallis, were a bit off their game.


But yes, the real reason for today's Trailer Tuesday post. Yesterday, a new official trailer for The Last Five Years hit the web. The Tony Award winning musical by James Robert Brown stars Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick as Jamie and Cathy, a young couple whose story is told through the music of their love. Cathy's part of the tale begins at the end of their relationship and Jamie contributes the beginning. It all leads up to the moment that Jamie proposes. Still Hurting, which is heard in this new trailer, is Cathy's response to the situation in which she finds herself. The vocals by Kendrick sound great. Still Hurting was the first song from the show that I heard before I knew the plot. It's a hauntingly beautiful song and I think that both Johnson and Kendrick are going to be fantastic in their roles.

The Last Five Years will be released on February 13.

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Trailer Tuesday: Dan Stevens Two-Fer

Trailer Tuesday is back with a duo of films coming out in the next few weeks starring none other than Dan Stevens. You may remember him from Downton Abbey, as the adorable heir to the Crawley estate. But Stevens has struck out into Hollywood with roles in The Fifth Estate, Summer in February, and an upcoming role as Lancelot in the third in the Night at the Museum franchise. Stevens is suddenly almost as many places as Benedict Cumberbatch and I'm okay with that.

Blog Tour: Bob Freeman's Top Ten Occult Detective Movies

 This week I'm hosting Bob Freeman and the Tomorrow Comes Media Shadows Over Somerset blog tour. Bob is sharing with me his Top Ten Occult Detective Movies!

Bob Freeman doesn’t just write and draw occult detectives, he’s also a card carrying paranormal adventurer who founded Nightstalkers of Indiana in 1983. A lifelong student of witchcraft, magic, and religion, Bob’s studies are reflected in his art, both as an author and illustrator. Bob lives in rural Indiana with his wife Kim and son Connor. He can be found online at occultdetective.com

Be sure to check him out on social media as well.

Website:  www.occultdetective.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorbobfreeman

Twitter: @OccultDetective

Here's a synopsis of Shadows Over Somerset: 

Michael Somers is brought to Cairnwood, an isolated manor in rural Indiana, to sit at the deathbed of a grandfather he never knew existed. He soon finds himself drawn into a strange and esoteric world filled with werewolves, vampires, witches… and a family curse that dates back to fourteenth century Scotland.

In the sleepy little town of Somerset, an ancient evil awakens, hungering for blood and vengeance… and if Michael is to survive he must face his inner demons and embrace his family’s dark past.

Shadows Over Somerset is the first Cairnwood Manor Novel.

Take it away, Bob!

Fantastical Theatricals' murder mystery is a Whovian love letter

Greeted by a woman in a black dress with curly blonde hair, I knew I was in the presence of River Song, I'm sorry, Cascade Cadenza (portrayed by Kathy Hobbs). From then, we began our meal at The Chop House before the music started and the show began.

It's Not You, It's Me: Wizard World Breaks Up with Louisville After One Year

That's right, Louisville Comic Con is no more. Wizard World has just released a list of shows for 2015, which includes a minimum of 22 shows. Looking at the list, Louisville Comic Con, which debuted in 2014, is no longer part of the circuit of over-priced media-driven shows that have saturated the pop culture con circuit in the last few years. What we do see on the list are a bevy of new shows which include a new Indianapolis Comic Con in February and ... wait for it... Raleigh Comic Con March 13-15.

Breaking up (with WoW) is hard to do

I've said before that one of the reasons I started Kentucky Geek Girl was to talk about gaming. Back in 2010, when I started the blog, I was a pretty hardcore World of Warcraft player. When I use that term, I'm not necessarily saying that I was in a raiding guild with top tier gear and advanced progression. No, I mean that I played the game as often as I could and had since 2007.

My main, Katryona.

Doctor Who-themed Murder Mystery to be Performed in Lexington

 

Local theater is something that has always interested me and I was delighted that director Kathy Hobbs contacted me about a production that is being launched here in Lexington at the end of July. Doctor! WHO is the Murderer? is a murder mystery set at a Doctor Who convention. Performed by Lexington-based theater troupe Fantastical Theatricals, this WHO-dunnit features The Doctor, The Master, and a zany cast of characters that will sure to be a crowd-pleaser for both Whovians and non-fans alike. In addition to their performances in Lexington, the group travels to many Kentucky state parks.

Geek Chat: Interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games Part 2

And now for Part 2 of my interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games. Part 1 showed us how Hex came together and their process of bending genres and coming up with new ideas. In Part 2, the guys discuss where they see the company going from here, their convention experiences, and women in tabletop gaming.

Newly released from Hex Games is Dynateens: Surf Force, which is available at Drive-Thru RPG.

When the evil forces of Megalodon the Mighty threaten the submarine city of New Atlantis, a team of super-powered teenagers, the Dynateens, arise to meet that threat. But are they strong enough to defeat the Great Shark menace and save humanity?

Dynateens: Surf Force is an action-packed game of aquatic adventure designed for use with the QAGS Second Edition rules. It includes background on the setting, rules for creating Dynateen characters, genre tropes, sample characters, adventure templates, character sheets, and more!

Dynateens: Surf Force is written by Ian “Aces & Apes” Engle and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, with a cover by James Hornsby.

Go go, Dynateens!

Be sure to enter to win a copy of Dynateens and QAGS 2nd edition! Details about the contest are at the bottom of the interview!

Geek Chat: Interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games Part 1

I met Steve Johnson, Operations Director of Hex Games, at a convention a few years ago when I attended a couple of Hex's sessions in the gaming track. I learned that we were alumni of the same college and I've kept up with the goings on of the company over the last few years. The folks at Hex have been very supportive of Kentucky Geek Girl and I'm delighted to feature their new release, Dynateens: Surf Force here on the blog.

From Drive-Thru RPG:

When the evil forces of Megalodon the Mighty threaten the submarine city of New Atlantis, a team of super-powered teenagers, the Dynateens, arise to meet that threat. But are they strong enough to defeat the Great Shark menace and save humanity?

Dynateens: Surf Force is an action-packed game of aquatic adventure designed for use with the QAGS Second Edition rules. It includes background on the setting, rules for creating Dynateen characters, genre tropes, sample characters, adventure templates, character sheets, and more!

Dynateens: Surf Force is written by Ian “Aces & Apes” Engle and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, with a cover by James Hornsby.

Go go, Dynateens!

I'm delighted to be joined on the blog today by Steve and Leighton Connor, Creative Director, as they shed some insight on how Hex came together, their creative process, and their convention experiences. I'll have info on how you can win a copy of Dynateens and QAGs Second Edition at the end of the interview!

I Think a Videogame Turned Me into a Horror Author by Jason Sizemore

I am thrilled to host author and editor extraordinaire Jason Sizemore on the blog today. I first met Jason back in 2012 just before the first Lexington Comic and Toy Convention where I did a spotlight on Apex Publications as part of my pre-con series. Jason and the folks at Apex have been great friends to Kentucky Geek Girl and I am so thrilled to help promote any of their endeavors. This is also a special occasion because it brings together Jason with my other great friends at Seventh Star Press, publishers of Jason's new collection, Irredeemable.

Jason Sizemore is a writer and editor who lives in Lexington, KY. He owns Apex Publications, an SF, fantasy, and horror small press, and has been nominated for the Hugo Award three times for his editing work on Apex Magazine. Stay current with his latest news and ramblings via his website http://jason-sizemore.com/ and his Twitter feed handle @apexjason. 

CONversations: Interview with Greg Franseth of Lexicon Gaming Convention

Lexington is getting a brand new convention, y'all, and this one happens to fall right within my interests. Lexicon Gaming Convention will be held May 2-4 at Clarion Hotel and Conference Center near Newtown Pike and I-64. The fellas have been putting together a plethora of fun activities for the weekend, but have also taken to community outreach in the form of bi-monthly board game meetups at West Sixth Brewing Company.

Greg Franseth, one of the founders of Lexicon, took the time to have a CONversation with me about the upcoming event, but you can also hear him on the latest episode of The Rad Ass Bitches podcast.

SNEAK PEEK: Two new DOCTOR WHO series from TITAN COMICS!

Thanks to my friends at Titan Comics, I'm sharing a sneak peek of the #1 issues from the new Doctor Who series which debuts this Summer! New adventures with Ten and Eleven?! Sign me up! Hit the jump for the gorgeous covers and descriptions of the series!

Doctor Who Regenerates with Titan Comics

A new day dawns for Doctor Who with the regeneration of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor into Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. Production is already underway on Series 8 and excitement is building for a possible Autumn 2014 premiere. In addition, production is underway on a new line of comics to help round out the Whoniverse. As a Whovian and casual comic book reader, I'm excited to announce a partnership between BBC Worldwide and Titan Comics. The deal between BBC and Titan will "open up the world of Doctor Who and provide fans with new stand alone adventures featuring the Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and after the new series launch, the Twelfth Doctor."  New Tenth Doctor adventures?! Sign me up!

My Favorite Things: Doctor Puppet - A Timelord Christmas

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things out in the world. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

I've written about The Doctor Puppet before, Leila featured it on The Fandomonium, and we've talked about it on The Eclectic Geek Podcast. It's safe to say that Doctor Puppet is most certainly one of My Favorite Things. Created by Alisa Stern, The Doctor Puppet takes a stop-motion look at Doctor Who and adds an interesting element to the fandom. While there is now an on-going story, I fell in love with How the Doctor Puppet Saved Christmas when it premiered last year in time for The Snowmen.

My Favorite Things: Epic Hiddles vs Cumberbatch Dance-off

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things out in the world. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

Okay, so this isn't actually Christmas themed, but both Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston rank highly among my favorite people in all of time and space. So, when this video began making its rounds on the Intarwebs, I thought it would be perfect for inclusion in this series. Because let's face it, why wouldn't an epic dance-off mashup video featuring Hiddles and Jinglebell Christmaswreath* be the stuff fangirl dreams are made of?

My Favorite Things: Let it Snow, Make it So

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things out in the world. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

My Favorite Things: Awesome Etsy Finds

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things out in the world. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

Here is a small selection of some amazing deals that you can find on Etsy, the home for handmade goods. I ordered several of my Christmas gifts from crafters on Etsy and I urge you to as well!