Author Archives: Bizarre Brunette

The Following (2013)

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by
[Image shows a promo image from the TV show The Following. It shows The Following along with two actor names: Kevin Bacon James Purefoy. The image is of Kevin Bacon and an overlay of James Purefoy.]

I used to watch more movies than TV shows. Moving to college I found that my free time was cut into shorter chunks of time. I had plenty of time in that time slot for a 40-minute episode. I’m always looking for a new show to watch and thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, I have access to quality content. The Following sparked my interest because when the first season aired, I heard it was a thrilling show with dark characters. I gave it a watch on Netflix and soon enough the first season was finished. Yesterday, I watched the last episode of season three which was the series finale since The Following was canceled. I liked the show, so I’m sad to see that the show wasn’t renewed.

The Following opens with Ryan Hardy (played by Kevin Bacon) a famed FBI agent pouring vodka into his flask. He arrested literature professor Joe Carroll (played by James Purefoy) for killing numerous young college women. He had been killing for some time, but Ryan was the only one who found out about his secret. Joe sees Ryan as his equal, someone who has the intelligence to keep up with his games. Joe doesn’t stay in prison for long and it’s revealed that he escapes, but has a league of followers who will kill for him. The first season revolves around Ryan trying to capture Joe’s cult members and stop Joe from committing more heinous crimes.

The relationship that Ryan and Joe have is what makes the Following a hit series. They have great chemistry together in their respective episodes. Season one goes by quick because every episode leaves off on a cliffhanger. Season two focused less on Joe, but on a new cult leader with her adopted children, although Joe appears in the season quite frequently, he isn’t the main character. I do like the introduction of Max Hardy (played by Jessica Stroup), Ryan’s niece as a new protagonist in the show. Season three was my least favorite of all the seasons. Joe doesn’t take front and center, and there’s this group led by someone named Eliza. I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish because the series ended.

It’s unfortunate that The Following was canceled, but after watching season three, I can respect why it was. If you enjoy FBI dramas/detective shows and want something that’s exciting to watch, The Following should go on your list.

Blizzard World Comic Con 2017

Posted in Life Lately by

This was certainly an unplanned eleven-day writing hiatus. My work schedule was chaotic and all I have been doing after work was finishing The Following on Netflix while reading books and various comics. After a relaxing weekend home I come prepared to write about a smaller local convention I attended: Blizzard World Comic Con 2017. 

Blizzard World Comic Con is a convention that offers up tables for super cheap. Artists can display their newly printed comics, art prints, and cute toys without spending a lot of money. Unlike other conventions that have panels and activities, Blizzard World is a con where you spend money. I had my budget as to how much I could spend and I was determined to spread that money across as many artists as I possibly could. I only ended up spending about $30 and I went home with a couple of comics and a cool sticker that I placed in my planner.

As for my first time being at this con, I liked it. It was small so I felt that I could actually talk with each artist at the booths. I could learn what inspires them to create art or detailed stories. This helped me make purchases that I felt really proud of. I will say that I only stayed for about 45 minutes because I spent my money quickly, so I wish Blizzard World offered more activities besides walking around the booths. Otherwise, I can definitely say that I will be back again next year.

The last part of this post is to detail what I bought because that’s always the fun part about attending conventions.

[Image features a comic titled "Little Peej and Spencer: The Amazing Time Traveling Toy Rescue by Phil Juliano". To the bottom left, there's a cartoon image of Velma from Scooby Doo cleaning her glasses."
Phil Juliano’s book and Velma print.

This book I ended up purchasing this not at Blizzard World, but through a GoFundMe page initiated by Phil Juliano. He ended up saving me this Velma print and isn’t it so cute?!

[Image shows a woman holding a book. The cover states "Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D Schmitz. The cover features a wolf as a backdrop with a woman wearing a red cloak underneath.
Book Written by Christopher D Schmitz. 

I stopped by Christopher D Schmitz’s table while at Blizzard World. He was describing his book, Wolf of The Tesseract which he stated had references to Cthulhu and other elements of HP Lovecraft’s stories.

Hopefully, I will keep a regular blogging routine as I really don’t like to go almost two weeks without writing. I can’t make any promises, but I do have some ideas about posts in the coming days. I wish everyone a good start to the week!

This is Our Story aka. Best Book of 2017

Posted in Reading/Books by
[Image features a book cover. The book cover features a mounted white stag that looks really creepy. Some of the text is white, some is dark blue. Book cover says "This is Our Story Ashley Elston".

My bibliophile confession of the day is I am a leisurely reader. I prefer to read two or three chapters before bed versus finishing a book in one day. However, there are a couple books that I spent hours finishing because I simply cannot stop reading. Last weekend I power-read through This is Our Story by Ashley Elston and without a doubt, this book is on my list of being one of the best books I read in 2017.

Five Boys Went Hunting . . . Four Came Back. 

Four privileged high school students surround the body of their dear, dead friend Grant. Henry, Logan, Shep, and John Michael made a vow that day to not reveal the name of the boy who pulled the trigger. Kate Marino is the intern at the smaller district attorney’s office and gets assigned to the case. The River Point boys as they are called all tested positive for either drugs or alcohol in their system at the time of the shooting. This begs the question as to whether Grant’s death is the result of a drunk kid accidentally firing a rifle or was there an alternative motive behind the shooting?

Curiously, Ashley Elston gives each of the four boys a motive behind wanting Grant dead. I unfortunately cannot talk about these motives without spoiling the story. I never knew who committed the crime until I skimmed the last twenty pages. I became too impatient so I read until I found out the truth.

This is Our Story was such a good Young Adult thriller.

 

Depression Quest *game discussion*

Posted in Gaming by
depression-quest

I have never been diagnosed with a mental illness. Therefore, I don’t often talk about mental illness on this blog. Last weekend while randomly surfing through Wikipedia pages did I come across the game designer; Zoe Quinn. They created a simple point-and-click game about what it’s like living with depression titled Depression Quest. Completing Depression Quest helped me gain insight into what it’s like battling with this illness.

The game has an opening page detailing a content warning because the content in the game is heavy. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline URL is also located toward the top of the page. As you may infer, Depression Quest is not a happy game. The unnamed main character begins with a feeling of being “inwardly angry towards feeling lazy”. Additionally, the character has a job, a partner named Alex, and a loving family. As you click through the game, different experiences will shape the character and how they react to changes in their life.

I have never been diagnosed with depression, so I usually become informed about mental illnesses through the stories of others. This game didn’t teach me anything new about what it’s like to have depression, but I feel more empathy towards mental illnesses. I used to be ignorant when it came to mental illnesses because when I was growing up and going to school, depression wasn’t talked about. I think our society has become more open with mental illnesses, but I think that we could reduce the stigma that exists surrounding mental illnesses.

This game goes by quick and I recommend checking it out if you haven’t. Mental illnesses can be debilitating, but the more we understand them, the better we can act as a support system to those who have been diagnosed. Video games can be a teaching medium for important issues and thanks to Zoe Quinn for their strength in telling a shorter version of their daily battles with the disease.

Cartoons from my Childhood

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

I miss the Saturday mornings as a kid when I could watch cartoons. Me and my brother would sit on the couch with our bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and watch multiple shows. Cartoons have a soft spot in my heart because of how much joy one cartoon could give me. I just wanted to briefly share a few cartoons that made Saturday mornings worth getting up for.

Rugrats 

There are days when I truly miss this show. I loved Chucky and his relationship with his dad, Tommy, and his ultimate dinosaur toy; Reptar, and Angelica’s truly epic schemes with the babies. Plus the spin-off movies were actually pretty decent. I think I have the VHS tape of the Rugrats Going to Paris somewhere in my house.

The Peanuts Specials 

I’m very biased when it comes to my love of the Peanuts because Charles Schultz is a native Minnesotan. I love all of the Peanuts holiday specials and I watch them live whenever they air on TV.

Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy 

Cartoon Network had some pretty twisted cartoons back in the day including the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Me and my brother loved this show despite what my parents thought. There’s aloof Billy who is the comedic relief, realistic and pessimistic Mandy and of course the Grim who barely puts up with the two kids. Endless laughs came from each episode of this show.

Scooby Doo 

Finally, I can’t forget to mention Scooby Doo. Me and my neighbor would have sleepovers and watch all of the older episodes. I also would get up at 10:00 AM before my dad had to work to watch the daily episode that aired. I can’t pick a favorite character because I truly love them all. I also remember going to the library and picking up these Scooby Doo chapter books to read. Scooby Doo provided me with a lot of good memories.

What cartoons do you still watch? I would love to hear your cartoon memories in the comments!

Geeky Cinderella Re-Telling; Geekerella

Posted in Reading/Books by

Last October I was chilling with friends while crafting thanks to this book that was sent to me. After writing my post, I emailed the link off to the woman responsible for marketing the feminism crafting book. Exactly one month later she emailed me about the probability of reviewing a geek-centered retelling of Cinderella and wondered if I would like an advance reading copy. I gleefully typed my response saying I was looking forward to receiving this book. As I returned to my cozy college house I noticed the purple package on my bed and tore it open to find Geekerella within the purple paper. This morning while sipping on coffee, I finished the book. I was disappointed because I didn’t want the book to end.

Elle is the Starfield fangirl. She blogs writes fanfiction, and cosplays and her dad started a convention surrounding Starfield. It wouldn’t be a Cinderella-esque re-telling without Catherine the fake step-mom and Chloe the beauty vlogger stepsister. Darien fits as prince charming who so happens to be the prince in the movie reboot of Starfield. Sage is the fairy godmother in the form of jarring green hair and multiple facial piercings. I don’t want to say much more than that since the book hasn’t been released yet.

This book captures what a fangirl means and why I put so much of my heart and soul into a fictional series. I relate to Elle in the way she speaks of her relationship with her father and her passion for Starfield. Darien is a great character because he presents a new side of what it means to be in the public eye. He often feels alone and distrustful of those in his inner circle. Elle and Darien have this healthy geek relationship that often mirrors how I view my relationship.

Without a moment of hesitation, I rated Geekerella five stars on Goodreads. I wish I could erase my memory of this book so I could re-read it and be entranced with the story.

Athletic Abilities; Exhibit at the Science Museum

Posted in Life Lately by

Science is the subject in school I struggle with but enjoy the most. My major is heavily focused on biology, anatomy, and physiology which are the branches of biology that comprehend how the body works. The Science Museum of Minnesota is a place filled with childhood memories of IMAX movies and featured exhibits. I was personally invited to interact with the newest exhibit Sportsology; the science behind sports medicine and biology.

A couple weeks ago, a fellow geek who reads my fit geek articles for Twin Cities Geek contacted me. She also is the coordinator for programs held at the Science Museum. She thought I would love to write an article on Sportsology since I write for the Fit Geek section of the site. I also got in for free and could bring my boyfriend who has never been to the museum before. Saturday, January 7th was filled with vertical jumping, balance activities, and racing against a T-REX… 😀

sportsology

Sportsology at the MN Science Museum

Wait racing against a T-REX? Yep! There was one sprinting activity where you could select your favorite athlete and sprint alongside them to see how fast you were. Instead of choosing an athlete, I decided on a T-Rex. A T-Rex by the way runs at 20 mph. So I attempted my sprint but failed miserably against a virtual dinosaur.

balance
Balance Activity

A less exciting, but still entertaining activity was on balance. Interestingly enough this picture was an activity to show how your ears help you balance. My boyfriend walked to that circle shown above. He then spun around in circles for five rotations. Once he’s all dizzy, he will attempt to walk in a straight line following the left orange line. At this point, your body isn’t helping you balance because your brain is trying to send nerve signals to your muscles. Your vision isn’t helping you balance because you’re dizzy. The fluid in your ears is what will help you walk in a straight line. Cool huh?

hanging-basketballs
Vertical Jump test 

This activity is a vertical jump test. Different basketballs were hung from different heights and you could jump to touch them. I was only able to jump to 8.5 inches while my boyfriend could jump to the 9-inch basketball.

This exhibit made for a fun Saturday. If you’re from Minnesota, I recommend visiting the museum. If you’re located in the other 49 states. . . you’re missing out.

Testing your Sanity in the Call of Cthulhu Game Trailer

Posted in Gaming by

Arkham Horror is the game that brought me into tabletop gaming. Based off of H.P Lovecraft’s horror stories, the game has its own world of shops and characters to learn from. Lovecraft’s stories often focus on the fear of the unknown which often included weird entities that once seen took away your sanity. Cthulhu is one such creature that is the most popular from his stories possibly because of his gigantic size and fearsome appearance. Focus Home Interactive is creating a game based on Lovecraft’s New England world with a probable appearance of Cthulhu. I watched the new trailer yesterday and I’m pumped. You can watch the trailer yourself down below.

“Mr. Pierce, have you questioned your own sanity? Maybe you should!”

I’m not usually into horror games, but this one appeals to me. I think what makes H.P. Lovecraft’s stories stand the test of time is how he appeals to the quest for knowledge that humans naturally have. Mr. Pierce is only trying to discover what is happening to these people and why they have dreams from under the sea.

There is no release date as of yet, but I’m anxiously awaiting to play it and to be scared of the all-mighty Cthulhu.

My Quests for 2017

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I detest New Year’s resolutions so, I thought that instead of writing about resolutions I wanted to write about quests to pursue in this bright new year.

Quest – noun a search or exploration.

Doesn’t that sound more fun? This whole “new year new me” is a bunch of nonsense. I love how my body looks and feels and I don’t want to change that for anyone else and the standards that society upholds. Here are the quests that I want to participate in:

Buy More Cruelty-Free Makeup. 

As a consumer, I started to be more attentive to what I’m purchasing. I want to invest in beauty products that are ethical. Makeup lifts my self-esteem some days, but it’s not worth it to buy a product that may have hurt animals before arriving on the shelf. 

More HIIT Workouts

HIIT aka. High-Intensity Interval Training. I just did a HIIT workout yesterday and my muscles are sore. HIIT is something I don’t do often, but I’m enjoying the higher energy and feeling sweaty after I complete my workout. I want my body to adapt and get stronger and I think HIIT can do that for me.

Drink more Tea 

I’m enjoying a sweet tangerine tea along with my sleepy-time Vanilla tea for when I’m tired while reading my book at night. Tea is my go-to at night because it’s not sugary like hot chocolate is, but it’s still warm and flavorful.

Finally: Read more comics, read more books, play video games when I can and be grateful for everything I have.

2016; A Geeky Review of the Year

Posted in Gaming, Reading/Books by

2016 was quite the year, to say the least. A couple of my blog posts are going to be devoted to end-of-year wrap-ups including this cute and clever tag created by Princess Deia. Here is my last hurrah to 2016.

Highlight – What’s one great thing that happened to you this year.

chicago-10

Visiting Chicago is one of my favorite experiences this year. I have always driven by Chicago, but I have never been to the heart of the city. It reminded me of a smaller and mid-western NYC. I had deep-dish pizza at Gino’s East along with visiting Millenium Park. One of my old roommates lives in the Chicago area so I’m trying to plan another visit soon to hit up all the museums.

Surprise – Be it TV show, film, game etc. that impressed you the most.

Overwatch is a game I wanted to play but didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. There is a steep learning curve for me because when I first played, I sucked. With more practice, I got much better and actually was a vital role in my team. Mercy is my go-to healer character though I also love D.VA and her gigantic pink robot along with Zarya.

New Fandom – Did you gain a new obsession in 2016?

Pandemic Game 2

Tabletop gaming is a recent new fandom of mine. I played Pandemic for the first time this year and I also dipped my feet into a Star Wars D&D campaign. I hope to play more tabletop games and try another campaign sometime this year.

Still, going strong? – did one TV show have an amazing season. Or did a book series have a truly impressive addition this year?

Earlier this year I read Firefight the second book in the Steelheart trilogy. The second book was really good and I have Calamity on my TBR. I love this series because it’s almost a dystopian X-Men novel about beings with superpowers, who end up taking over the world instead. It’s one of my favorite series I have ever read.

Biggest disappointment of the Year.

DC’s movie lineup was discouraging. Batman V. Superman had a variety of issues including Lex Luthor/Jessie Eisenberg’s Riddler Lex. This movie was a mess with too much crammed into one movie. Darkseid references and a weird Flash dream? I had expected Suicide Squad to be the movie to redeem DC, but nah. I’m hoping Wonder Woman will be the movie that saves DC.

Event of the year – be it a convention, viewing party, geek girl brunch, etc.

CONvergence 2016 was my favorite convention I attended this year. I made my cosplay which was an exciting experience and I could unwind with friends. I met up with my uncle and my aunt and I went to the party rooms with them. Another highlight was MCBA Comic Con 2016. This con is entirely devoted to comic books and illustrators. I wish I had brought more cash to spend.

What are you looking forward to next year?

Movies: Wonder Woman, Spiderman Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy, Justice League, Beauty and the Beast. Besides movies, I will try and read more books and comics because this wasn’t as good of a reading year for me.

Quick Fire Round:

TV Show of the Year: The Night Manager with Tom Hiddleston.

Movie of the Year: Fantastic Beasts 

Game of the Year: Overwatch 

Book of the Year: I’m going with Nailbiter. It’s a horror graphic novel that I wrote a review about earlier in the year. It’s so good, I need to get my hands on the next couple of volumes soon.