Another month of kindness and wonder here in the Geek Speak mailroom…
First came this, from Sim, regarding our feature Try, Try Again:
The Sly Stallone Dredd was a travesty but yeah Dredd 3D ROCKED. “Hopeful” about a lot of other “readaptations” now, thanks for that.
And on the same topic came this from Lola, who said:
I’ve always wondered about the difference between remakes and reimaginings and reboots, and then you throw in readaptation and I was bound to get very confuzzled. Thenks for sorting it all out for me, makes sense now. …

From fighting for your life to fighting for a cool $10 mil to fighting for the respect of Cobra Kai, we pay tribute to all the underdogs who ended up champions…
by K. Burtt, Rachel Hyland, Jason Murdoch and Kim Sorensen
There’s just something about watching skilled exponents of a martial art going at it, mano-a-mano. And it’s even better when the battle is joined in some form of ring or cage scenario, in which there are at least a modicum of rules and where there is some form of prize up …

Many months – in fact, I would go so far as to say most months – our “Geek vs. Geek” has been privileged to offer you, the reader, some of the most passionate and thoughtful arguments to be found for or against a book series, a movie, a trend, a legal issue, or even a specific season of a cult television show. These remarkable documents often represent the culmination of years of feverish devotion to the cause and hours of deep meditation on the subject, as well as the distillation …

A Shaw Brothers classic, AVENGING EAGLE (1978)

Let it go on the record that I have a deep seated passion for movies from this particular genre. From early Shaw Brothers films, through to modern day blockbusters, nothing quite tickles my pickle like a good (or really bad) martial arts action film. Now, I understand that this particular style of cinema isn’t for everyone, that’s fine. But let’s not let an ignorance of the brilliance behind the scenes shape our distaste.
The thing is, if you look hard enough, there’s something here for …

Social Media can be a blessing… or it can be a hellworld. It’s all up to us. By which we mean you.
by Kate Nagy
A lamentable epidemic of Toolishness is raging across Facebook. Oh, not among my Facebook Friends – or yours, all of whom are of course completely awesome. But it’s out there. One hears things. Indeed, ever since Mark Zuckerberg threw up his very first post comparing the relative hotness of two of his Harvard classmates, Facebook Toolishness has been part of the cyber-landscape.
It doesn’t need to be that …

Could Batman patent the Batmobile? Does using X-ray vision violate search and seizure laws? This, and much more, answered in a revealing new legal tome…
by Rachel Hyland
If there has ever been a better gift for the comic-loving lawyer in your circle (come on, everybody has one), then I should be very much surprised. Born out of what is certainly among the most erudite comic-related sites online, where even the comments are learned and well-argued, attorneys/authors James Daily and Ryan Davidson have put together a fascinating collection applying real world US (and …

Think Lori couldn’t be any more annoying? You would be wrong.
by Kellie Sheridan
Fair Warning: This feature looks at plot and other devices of both the TV show and the comics. There will obviously be all kinds of spoilers, up to and including Season 3.
Over the past few months I have become something of a zombie addict, which I can completely blame on The Walking Dead – specifically, on AMC’s acclaimed television version, developed by Frank Darabont. I watched all of the first two seasons over the summer, and then finally …

From Bruce Lee to Crouching Tiger to the upcoming Man with the Iron Fists, a look at the history, and future, of martial arts in film.
by Kim Sorensen
Ever since Alexander the Great conquered much of central Asia, Westerners have had an obsession with the East; flash forward several millennia, and the obsession continues. Film is without a doubt the biggest form of entertainment worldwide, and for several decades there have been filmmakers, producers, writers, and actors who have tried to bring the success of Martial Arts Cinema to Hollywood.
Throughout Asia, …

How one film fan made it through 11 days of sheer hell, and why he’s going back next year.
by David Baldwin
The Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF as it is more commonly called, is like film geek mecca. For 11 days in early September, Toronto is transformed into something truly extraordinary. Buzz runs high as fans young and old eagerly run from place to place, waiting with faint hope that they can bump shoulders with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Autographs and photos rather quickly become a sign …

Based on The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman
Written by: Chris Terrio
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
US Release Date: Friday, October 12, 2012
In Short: A gripping, surprisingly funny spy caper, based on true events.
Recommended: Hell, yes!
O’DONNELL: This is the best bad idea we have sir.
Every year or so a new James Bond movie comes out, and is a thrilling adventure full of car chases and explosions and fantastic fights steeped in some great-looking krav maga stylings. And the …