In an ongoing patent legal battle between Motorola Mobility and Microsoft, International Trade Commission Judge David Shaw has made the recommendation that the importing and sale of the Microsoft XBox be banned in the United States.

ITC Administrative Law Judge David Shaw decided in April that the Xbox has violated four Motorola patents that pertain to the H.264 video compression codec and wireless technologies used in both gaming controllers and consoles. Last month, in deciding that the Xbox was violating Motorola’s patents, Shaw made no recommendation to halt Xbox sales or imports. In the court document, released to the public on Monday, that changed and Shaw recommended the bans. [WIRED]

In the court filing, Motorola has asked for the XBox to be banned in the U.S. and for Microsoft to be fined for an amount equal to all the XBox Consoles sold here in the states. However, this is merely a recommendation by the ITC Judge; this recommendation will now move to an ITC Board comprised of six judges who will review the recommendation, and should this panel agree with Shaw’s recommendation it will then hit the desk of President Barack Obama where he will then make the final decision to enforce this verdict or to throw it out.

That’s right folks, President Obama could end up deciding the fate of the XBox.

Microsoft remains confident that the ITC Board will ultimately rule in their favor, and despite this ban recommendation being made by Judge Shaw, Microsoft and Motorola Mobility could still settle their dispute prior to this moving forward. Emphasis on “could”. Microsoft has also argued that banning the sales of XBoxes in the U.S. would be detrimental to the public, leaving them only two options for gaming consoles, the Sony Playstation and Nintendo Wii. In response, Judge Shaw noted that he was confident that Sony and Nintendo are capable of picking up the slack.

Something tells me this Judge doesn’t quite understand how the gaming industry works . . .

For right now, the recommendation to ban XBox sales in the U.S. will continue to move forward. While I doubt we will ultimately see the XBox banned in the U.S., I am very curious to see how this all shakes out.

[Source: WIRED]

A truncated version of this piece first appeared on The Huffington Post…

Chip Kidd, the legendary author and designer, is the writer behind a new Batman graphic novel called Death by Design. It’s a very smart and brilliantly illustrated black-and-white film turned comic book that tells a story of a Gotham crumbling at the foundations by corruption. I can’t begin to explain how much I loved the book, reading it I felt like I was in an old one-room movie palace, watching a lost Carol Reed/Orson Welles collaboration. But when I’d look around, I’d still just be on my couch reading a comic book.

Kidd and illustrator Dave Taylor blended the comic medium and it’s most popular character with all the aesthetic of a World’s Fair that rocketed this near the top of my favorite Batman books. Some might dismiss it as being boring or not action-packed enough, but my guess is that none of those people have ever seen Casablanca either.

I had a chance to speak with Chip Kidd about the project and our conversation is transcribed below. Further down, you’ll see an exclusive sneak peek of the book. If you’re a fan of both Batman and classic noir cinema, this book is a must read.

Bryan Young: I’d like to start on what sparked your connection to the Batman, right off the bat.

Chip Kidd: It’s just something I’ve sort of been obsessed with ever since I was about two years old. I was born in 1964, the TV show debuted in sixty-six, and I kind of got hooked from there. I don’t know. There was just something about the character and also the design of the character that really interested me, and I think struck some kind of emotional chord.

BY: So from the sixties’ show, did that drive you to the comic then?

CK: Yeah exactly. And there was a bazillion toys too.

BY: I hear you’ve got quite the collection of the bazillion toys.

CK: Ha! Yeah.

BY: One of the questions I was curious about, since you’ve sort of been driven to the comic way earlier than probably anybody I’ve ever talked to, what have been the arcs through the years that have really influenced your take on Batman?

CK: There was an arc in the seventies by a writer name Steve Englehart and an artist named Marshall Rogers. And actually, the anchoring villain to the whole thing was this character named Hugo Strange. Which is like, from Batman number one, in the forties.

And it’s a really brilliant run in Detective Comics that included the Joker with the Laughing Fish. And there was this really really great, I think one thing that Batman, they’ve tried to give him a Lois Lane for almost since the beginning. You know, Vicky Vale sort of came and went. You know like a really good civilian female foil for Bruce Wayne basically. So Englehart and Rogers created this woman named Silver St. Cloud. In some sense, my character Cyndia Sill was inspired by her, in that she is like a really strong, purposeful character. She’s not just a damsel in distress.

BY: Reading the book, it feels like you are watching a movie. It’s very cinematic. It has this sort-of heavy noir influence. It’s almost a little bit surprising to hear that your influences, or your inspiration, what got you into Batman is more sixties, seventies Batman. It feels much more much more forties. At least with reading this book.

CK: Well, I would hope so. My fandom and this particular project are not two separate things, but this book is its own thing. And I really very much wanted it to feel like a really good film from the thirties actually, from like the late thirties. And the art direction to the artist, Dave Taylor, was what if Fritz Lang had a big budget to make a Batman film in 1938? What would it look like? We never specifically say what year it is, but it very much meant to feel like it’s set back then.

BY: I can definitely see that with the glass floored club, and things like that, it’s very sort of over the top. And I can actually see it in that black and white sort of tone. What sort of cinematic influence was there for you? I know reading about Orson Wells working on Citizen Kane, he was going back and looking at Stagecoach for inspiration. This feels so rich, but there’s nothing you can put your finger on it; there’s Hitchcock, there’s Grace Kelly, like you said there’s Fritz Lang, definitely Fritz Lang. Where else were you coming from on that? And have it be so unique…

CK: Well, that’s great! Unique is good. We like that. I would say also The Fountainhead, both the novel and the film, for all the architectural stuff and then On the Waterfront for all the crooked union stuff. And all of those are black and white. I think all of those influences went into it visually. For a writer I was given a lot of say into the art direction of the book. I think that is pretty unusual.

BY: It was amazing, as I was researching you, I astounded to find out how many books I own that had crossed your desk initially, from Conversations with Woody Allen to David Sedaris, or even Jurassic Park. Being sort of a designer of that caliber, with a very discerning eye, what was the processes like working with David Taylor?

CK: It was great. It was great because he was really amenable to collaborating in a way. I feel like I can do everything but draw. And I can see things in my head and know what they should look like, but I’m simply not a very good draftsman. Which is frankly why I became a graphic designer and an art director. He was great to work with. My scripts were very diagramed out. They weren’t just like a movie script, which a lot of comic book scripts are. There are a zillion different ways to do this. I would break the pages down into panels and say this is what’s happening in this one, and this is what’s happening in this one. But there were times that he would deviate and always for an excellent reason, and he was always right.

BY: From a designer’s stand point what is it that you think is so alluring about Gotham?

CK: Well, we were hoping to capture that in the book. You know by this point there are so many different versions of everything. It’s been seventy years and the character is so popular and all of these different types of mediums. You know there’s the take on Gotham that is like what if New York had no zoning code, and everything was completely over the top. There’s the whole it’s very much actually like New York. I was going for, well one of the other heavy visual heavy influences was an architectural renderer named Hugh Ferris, as in the Ferris Wheel, although he didn’t design the Ferris Wheel, he was the sort of visual architectural renderer from the first three decades of the twentieth century who with just pencil and charcoal would draw these, kind of urban utopian monolithic buildings. So that was also very much an influence on how it would look. I wanted it to look like a place that you would very much want to live, but then they do something like they build the ceiling and then it falls apart.

BY: It’s got this World’s Fair quality to it almost.

CK: Yes. I love that.

BY: In the last year or so it seems like architecture and the history of architecture in Gotham have come more into the forefront with Scott Snyder’s Gates of Gotham and all the stuff he’s doing. It seems like we’ve always heard of Gotham as sort a character, but why do you think it seems like now is that time, why is it… I’m not sure if I’m explain what I’m trying to say properly.

CK: It’s alright. I think that anything about Gotham is also about New York. And I think certainly in that ten years, New York as an urban environment, has been the focus of the world or a heavy focus of the world, where you have this horrible horrible thing happen and everybody was sharply focused on the city, and how it would react and rebuild itself. And I don’t think that’s really stopped. So in a sense, the in the comics, Gotham is the same way. It can become a sort of projection of what we hope for in an urban environment or what we are afraid of in an urban environment, and what would need to happen to fix it.

BY: You’ve got a very striking story there. That there are these amazing gems of architecture, landmarks that are literally crumbling before our very eyes because of the foundation of graft and corruption that they are built on. Do you think that is a reflection of what is going on in New York, right now, or in the past?

CK: I think thankfully more in the past, but look, there was another crane collapse last month that killed that guy. That killed one of the construction works. In that sense, it’s still pretty bad. You have the union thing, we’re not going to accept these inspection regulations that you’re imposing on us. We’re just not going to accept them. You know, it’s just incredible. Now, in terms of buildings themselves, no. I mean, I’m literally sitting right now in my office looking at a skyscraper that’s going up across the street and that’s been amazing to see. And in my old office I watched the Hearst building get built. And that was an amazing thing to see. I think once they commit to building the buildings, the buildings themselves are fine. But you know, again with these crane collapses, it’s remarkable.

BY: There are a lot of different Batman audiences right now. You’ve got audiences that ranges from my son who’s nine years old and he likes the cartoons to sort of the more savvy audiences, to the audiences who like to see Batman just beat stuff up. What compelled you to feel like this was the right sort of story for Batman and this flavor of Batman?

CK: I thought this particular story had not been told before. When I was asked to do this, I tried to think of, “Well what will people think that I’m good at that I can bring to it?” So then it sort of grew out of there.

BY: I read a story where you were talking at a conference to designers about Penn Station and some of these crane collapses and sort of connected the dots in your head. Was that accurately reported?

CK: Yes, yes that was accurately reported. That’s why very much a fiction. I was thinking about, “What if this happened in Gotham in the thirties and what if these two events somehow were related?” And what it all comes down to, as you said, corruption and graft. I think anybody who wants to tell any kind of Batman story, and do it well, has to ask themselves, “So why does this character exist? Why does Batman exist?” And the answer is Batman works best when Gotham City is a mess. And somebody that can go beyond the powers of Bruce Wayne can do something about it.

What I very much like about the character, is that the two alter egos meet each other. Obviously Batman came about because there were certain things that he could do that Bruce Wayne can’t, but it goes the other way. Bruce Wayne can save a building, especially one that was built by his father and that he owns. I tried to make them two very strong characters that are very much comfortable with each other. As opposed to agonizing over whether he should exist or not, or one should give over to the other one completely. You know that’s an interesting theme too.

It’s just not one that I was interested in exploring.

BY: Another thing that I noticed through the book, especially through the character of
the architect’s son, who’s got this sort of space-age device that lets him appear in
places, and it felt very much like one of those old thirties cereals. It had that quality to it that you were treating it with a reverence that made it feel like if Orson Wells had done this we’d have totally bought it.

CK: Well, that’s a very high complement. That’s the kind of thing I was aiming for. Something that felt fun and lively, but that had a weight to it.

BY: It definitely did. As I read the book, I felt, I really was, I kept coming back to Orson Wells, to post war Vienna and The Third Man, which I know is Carol Reed, but Orson Wells was there. It felt like that unraveling mystery, that damsel. I really did enjoy the book.

CK: Well thank you, very much. That’s very high praise. He’s the best, or one of the best, certainly.

BY: Yeah, definitely. It was great to see it embodied in Batman. I’m not sure if you read Tom Hiddleston’s editorial in The Guardian. He was Loki in The Avengers, and he was talking about how people shouldn’t dismiss super-hero stories, they can be high art or of a literary caliber. I think that this is one of those stories certainly you can take, classic story telling, and put him in dressed as a flying mouse, in it, and it still works. I don’t know if you can comment on that at all.

CK: Well, obviously I agree. I think these characters are great constructs to hang an effective story on. And I think the genre of comics sometimes over takes the medium, and people assume that they are kind of frivolous. If you have a good strong story teller, they can be they can be as affecting as any character in literature. Period.

BY: And then my last question for you is, what is it that you like about telling a story in this way? Are you going to be doing more story telling in the graphic format as opposed to your day job as a legendary designer?

CK: That part remains to be seen. I would love to do more. It’s funny. I’m very much a wait-to-be-asked kind of guy. And they literally asked me to do this. Which is insane. I would like to do more. I think there all sorts of things that are unique to the graphic novel format from, “O.K. let’s cast Grace Kelly as our lead.” to you know something very interesting when you turn a page or go from a panel to a panel. Yes, I certainly hope to do more.

Batman: Death by Design comes out June 5, 2012.

Bryan Young is the editor of the geek news and review site Big Shiny Robot! and author of the just released pulp sci-fi adventure Operation: Montauk.

Deadline is reporting that the release of the sequel to G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, has been pushed back to March 2013 in order to convert it into (sigh) 3D.

The sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation was supposed to come out this summer on June 29th. But I’ve learned that Paramount is moving the movie nine months to March 29, 2013, to add 3D. “We’re going to do a conscientious 3D job because we’ve seen how it can better box office internationally,” one of the studio execs just told me. “Jim Cameron did all of Titanic‘s 3D in post – and look how well that movie turned out.”

Apparently, 3D is really big internationally and it looks like Paramount wants to wait to make sure they get the biggest bang for their buck. Of course, this could also have something to do with the another Hasbro property, Battleship, recently tanking at the box-office.

I suppose this is a pretty good move for Paramount, or at the very least a “neutral” move. I personally don’t know a lot of people clamoring to go see the G.I. Joe sequel, nor will that change just because it will be in 3D. I liked the first one well enough, it was a fun popcorn film, and frankly I’m sure I would have ended up seeing this one as well. However, it certainly wasn’t a film I was particularly anticipating. I don’t think anyone is going to be overly heart-broken about this push, and we all know those executives want to make sure this film makes money – and if that means pushing it back ten months to ensure that (at least over-seas), okay.

Releasing G.I. Joe: Retaliation next March will most likely ensure a better box-office in the US as well in that March isn’t usually a huge month for movies. Had the film stuck with its original release date of June 29, 2012, it would have been blown away the following week with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man.

Any of you readers out there particularly upset by this move? Were you looking forward to seeing the G.I. Joe sequel next month? Sound off in the comments below!

Baz Lurhman, the man who brought us Moulin Rouge, is bringing us his unique vision of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. It’s a favorite book of mine, and, to tell the truth, I’m quite a fan of the adaptation from the 70s with Sam Waterston, Robert Redford, and Mia Farrow that was adapted by Francis Ford Coppola. It’s a great film.

This trailer looks as though Lurhman’s version is spectacularly cast with Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, with Carey Mulligan (from Doctor Who and Drive!) and Joel Edgarton (Attack of the Clones!) filling out the other roles. It looks a bit…bigger and more hyperbolic than I imagined as I read the book, but I suppose that was to be expected with Baz Lurhman.

The thing I’m worried about the most watching the trailer is the music, though. The Roaring Twenties had plenty of fantastic music and the music in this trailer didn’t match the story in any way.

I can only hope the film itself doesn’t make the same mistake.

We’ll see when this version hits screens on Christmas, 2012.

(If you want to see the trailer in glorious Quicktime, here’s the link.)

Disney/Pixar’s Brave is scheduled to be released on June 22 in theaters, but Mattel has already released a new toy line in preparation of the film.

This line is aimed primarily at girls, focusing on dolls of Merida and her horse Angus.  I’ve listed the items below with brief descriptions and suggested retail prices, as well as my own observations based on the dolls I received for this review.

Fashion & Doll Play

Brave Merida Fashion Doll – Perfect for girls to re-create their favorite movie moments. $14.99

Brave Merida & Angus the Horse Gift Set – Sit Merida atop Angus and play out the pair’s adventures. $26.99

This is an incredible set.  Merida’s dress is a beautiful turquoise color, and she has adorable freckles on her cheeks and a cascade of red hair.  She is designed to sit atop her horse, which is something I always found lacking in my dolls of old.

Brave Gem Styling Merida Doll – Lets girls style Merida’s signature gown and red hair with decorative “gems.” $20.99

My only complaint about this is how long it took me to get the doll out of the packaging.  I had to use a pair of scissors and probably cut twenty different little strings and plastic ties.  The good thing is her hair didn’t move a curl while she was in the box, so welded to the packaging was she.  Her dress is gorgeous, with little yellow ruffles at the bodice, a reversible cloak, and gems sewn to the front.  Her bow and arrow are tied to her hands, which move easily with articulated elbows.  There are extra gems you can add to decorate her hair, but they have Velcro on the back which will more than likely pull strands loose, so use at your own risk.  I opted to use the little comb as a hair ornament, and it looks like a little tiara.

And you can’t see it in any of the pictures, but she has the neatest shoes.  They have plastic “laces” that go practically to her knees, and the closest comparison I can think of is to call them gladiator sandals.  Very stylish, though.

So yes, I play with dolls.  At least for the purpose of this article.  I take my role as writer very seriously, so I must endure these hardships to bring information to you, our loyal readers.

I think little girls (and even boys!) will love these toys.  And if the dolls and transforming sets aren’t up your alley, then I have no doubt there will be tons more to choose from as the film release approaches.

Marvel announced (via The View) that Northstar will be getting engaged to his boyfriend in an upcoming issue of Astonishing X-Men (#50) and married in the next (#51).

Here’s Sithbot:

First we saw it in Dragon Age, then Mass Effect, Archie, and now finally in X-Men, same sex couples are getting their due and finally starting to cross over into the geek mainstream. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, be sure to stop by your local comic shop early on May 23 to pick up Astonishing X-Men #50 (and put #51 on hold) where we will see Northstar propose and get married to his boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu.

Northstar has been a popular character and played integral roles in many story arcs across the Marvel Universe, as well as being the first openly gay member of the X-Men, (coming out in 1992 in Alpha Flight #106). His homosexuality had been hinted at before he was allowed to utter the words ‘I am gay’ in AF 106, and, to Marvel’s credit, they have always treated his story arcs that have dealt with everything from homophobia among mutants, unrequited love, courting other X-Men (Colossus in the Ultimate universe) and now his marriage with respect that is quite refreshing. Kudos to Marvel for taking this issue head on and reflecting real life issues in the pages of their comics and not shying away from what some may feel is controversial. Gay people get married every day, and it’s a wonderful thing to be able to see characters we know and love experiencing these same joys.

The X-Men have been my favorite Marvel comic series since I got into them as a kid. Not just because they had kick ass powers and could do a bunch of cool stuff, but because, as a gay teen, I readily identified with ther outcast status and the fact that no matter how much good they did, there was still a certain level of distrust the general public always had for them. I was really happy to see Marvel take a huge step by introducing the first openly gay comic character, Northstar, back in 1992, and it was great to see that they dealt with his homosexuality openly and honestly, and had him deal with many of the same issues we all do, regardless of sexuality.

I am extremely excited to see his proposal and marriage to his boyfriend in Astonishing X-Men #50 and #51 hitting comic shelves May 23. Too often, in film, tv and especially comics, those of us in the LGBT community have felt a bit slighted as we are still oftentimes portrayed as complete stereotypes and not as we really are. Granted, things are changing for the better a la sitcoms like Modern Family, and it’s refreshing to see Marvel take such a positive step in celebrating the lives and loves of all their characters, not just the straight ones. On behalf of all in the gay geek community, I want to offer a huge thank you to Marvel for standing up and doing such a great job representing us in your world despite the fact some might find it controversial. I’d definitely recommend putting this in your hold ASAP because if the recent issue of Archie celebrating a same sex marriage is any indicaion, these issues will sell out, and fast!

If you want to watch the women of The View discuss this (shut up…someone might) The Mary Sue has the video.

I’m very excited for this. Manchester Black was one of my favorite Superman characters back when I was reading his titles regularly.

From the press release:

In SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, Superman’s effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as “The Elite,” appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy — putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical, yet preferably non-lethal Man of Steel.

The all-new, PG-13 rated film is scripted by award-winning comics writer Joe Kelly and the story is adapted from his original 2001 DC Comics release, “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” The single-issue comic, Action Comics #775, was lauded by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top 100 Comics of the last 30 years.”

George Newbern (Father of the Bride) reprises his Justice League animated television role as Superman, and primetime television star Pauley Perrette (NCIS) provides the voice of Lois Lane. Downes steps in as Manchester Black, leader of The Elite. David Kaufman (Justice League: Doom) also reprises his Justice League TV series role as Jimmy Olsen.

The film is directed by Michael Chang (Batman: Brave and the Bold).

Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One) is executive producer, and Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) is producer.

You can preorder it on Amazon now.

Forget James Bond, it’s always a good day when you can see new material from a master of cinema like Paul Thomas Anderson.

This new trailer is full of style and wonder and I can’t wait to see this film. It’s a fictionalized account of L. Ron Hubbard’s founding of Scientology. Think Citizen Kane for Scientology. Jeez.

Just the thought of that thrills me. I can’t begin to describe how I imagine seeing the actual movie is going to make me feel.

And this teaser doesn’t even show us the lead of the film: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who always outdoes himself in PT Anderson pictures.

This film hits theatres in October and has officially rocketed to the top of my must see in 2012 list, right behind Prometheus.

[/via Badass Digest]

Game of Thrones S02E08 “The Prince of Winterfell”

By Bobot Fett

Warning! Spoilers for S02E08 and Book #2 (Minor ones for A Clash of Kings) included!

Season two hits the home stretch with the Starks divided. With Bran and Rickon dead, what is to become of the house that Ned built?

We begin in Winterfell. Episode seven closed with the harrowing image of Bran and Rickon burned to death after their escape. Now Theon welcomes his sister Yara to Winterfell expecting the respect he so desperately desires. What he receives is more mockery and a little heart. Yara’s lovely bedtime story and earnest plea that Theon not die so far from the sea might have been a bit more touching if she hadn’t let him give her a handy a few episodes ago. Theon’s tragedy continues its downward spiral as he offers gold for lives already lost, ignorant of their true value. With the Bastard of Bolton quickly approaching the gates of Winterfell, we may soon get a ‘peek’ into the true depths of Theon’s complex character.

North of the wall, Ygritte pays her life debt to Jon by saving him from newcomer, The Lord of Bones (played by Edward Dogliani). A cross between Skeletor and Grizzly Adams, the Lord of Bones is a fan favorite and his arrival sets the stage for an exciting season three. The chemistry between Jon and Ygritte continues to be strong, with Jon playing the innocent and honorable son of Stark perfectly. Ranger Halfhand’s suggestion that Jon infiltrate Mance Rayder’s ranks and Samwell’s discovery of a cache of Dragonglass both look to add to the action and intrigue of season three.

Far south on the front lines Robb fights to keep from losing his mind. His castle is captured, his siblings are captive, and now his mother has betrayed him. I enjoy the scene where Catelyn casually and callously dismisses Lord Karstark’s children as having the same value as hers. The Catelyn of the show is an older, darker shewolf than her literary counterpart and at times like these it works. Catelyn has of course given Jamie to Brienne and the repercussions will continue for seasons to come. Robb’s only option is to arrest his mother and bed his nurse. Nothing gets a bloody nurse hotter than a homeless King talking about his mother and his fiancé.

In Kings Landing the Lannister’s infighting continues to work out poorly for Ros. First it was Joffery, now it is Cersei’s turn to mistake Ros for something of value to Tyrion. Tyrion’s heart for whores has cost him before and I fear it will cost him even more. The scenes between Bronn and Tyrion were perhaps the most meaningless and wasted time in the series thus far. With the compact schedule and the continued editing and rewriting of the source material this time could have been better used to advance other stories or put back the green-seers or any number of nuances that the later seasons are going to sorely miss.

At Harrenhall, Tywin decides to ride on Robb Stark. Arya panics to find the Man but is too late to stop Tywin and is left in the care of The Mountain. When Jaqen does return Arya cons him into helping her escape and she and her friends walk out the front gate. This whole episode feels like set up for the season finale and season three but no segment more so than Arya. For such a charismatic character and intense situation, this season has underutilized her plight.

Dany makes a brief but emotional appearance alongside her bear in Qarth. If I were a newcomer to the series I might now be wondering if the Mother of Dragons suffers from the Targeryan’s incest caused madness. For multiple episodes Dany has been very off-putting toward  Jorah but now a soft touch and sweet caress. This season has been very light on Dany after a Dany heavy season one, I hope HBO can get the balance right for season three.

The siege of King’s Landing is only days away and Stannis and Davos plan for the future. The siege looks to be the big set piece for the season finale and the ‘pig shit’ grenades will soon fly. It is nice to get Stannis’ and Davos’ backstory, the lack of back stories for other relationships is one of my primary complaints of the series. This episode was almost entirely expositional set up but as long as the conclusion is epic, plodding plot episodes like this are worth it.

…..and in the crypts of Winterfell the three eyed crow lives!

This year the Bond movie franchise turns 50 and it looks like we are getting one bad ass movie to celebrate! While the last movie in the Daniel Craig films left a little something to be desired, Casino Royale might just be the best Bond movie to date. Will Skyfall be just as good? I don’t know, but with Javier Bardem playing the villain and Sam Mendes directing It’ll be hard for it not to be.