Reasons to Survive for Week of November 28th – Mario Kart! Superman! Cybermonday!

Good. You’re here. I was starting to get worried. Like… really worried. But now I realize that the tryptophan just wore off and maybe you had yourself a really good Thanksgiving. Well, you’re not done giving thanks yet! It’s time for your Reasons to Survive! Because we’re already Masters of Survival, you need to ask yourself: Can I survive one more week?

MONDAY – November 28th

Russell Sheman – Survived the “Canadian” Thanksgiving… a while ago.

Cybermonday – This is the big shopping day for us nerds who dislike people and can have everything we want delivered to our front doors.  That batamax player I’ve been eyeing can finally be mine! (insert evil laughter here)

TUESDAY – November 29th

Heidi Hiliker – Survived the Brave Nerd World Hiatus

Another Earth on DVD – This parallel universe Sci-Fi tale intrigued me when it was in theaters but I guess not enough to venture out to my local art house cinema. Now that it is coming out on DVD I really want to give it a shot. Written and staring Brit Marling, the film follows a bright young astrophysics and a brilliant composer as their lives intertwine after the discovery of a duplicate Earth. Looks like it could be right up my alley.

Matt Kelly – Survived Los Ange-no, wait. Not yet.

30 Seconds or Less on DVD – Not the greatest movie of the year, but not the worst. I had fun watching this movie, enough to rewatch it at least.

Tucker and Dale VS Evil on DVD – I never got to see this in theaters but everyone says that it’s amazing so I’m looking forward to making my own decision on it.

WEDNESDAY – November 30th

Molly Mahan – Survived the Meat Locker

DC Comics Presents Superman – Secret Identity #2 – If you failed to read this mini Elseworld’s series when it first came out, you should definitely pick it up this week. Part 2 (collecting issues #3 and #4 of the original miniseries) of an Elseworld’s where a boy named Clark Kent, after years of being mocked for sharing a name with the fictional hero Superman, grows up and actually develops powers, making him a wanted man of the state. Juggling his domestic life with his innate desire to do good, this is Kurt Buseik’s take on if the Man of Steel were the real deal.

I read this in TPB back in 2006 (now out of print and selling for upwards of $45 on Amazon), and it remains one of my favorite Superman stories to this day (for some reason, the Elseworld’s Superman stories do it better for me than the monthly serials). I highly recommend you pick up both issues of DC COMICS PRESENTS: SUPERMAN – SECRET IDENTITY, if you have not had the pleasure of reading it before. Or even if you have, but fail to own it in your comics library. For the Superman novice and maven alike!

THURSDAY – December 1st

Devin Ashby – Nobody Survives Her Black Widow Sting

Animation Breakdown at the Cinefamily – December 1 – 6 – Los Angeles’ Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax will be hosting a six-day animation festival this week, beginning on Thursday, and featuring an assortment of new, rare, and classic animation. I’m excited about a lot of things on this program, but the one I’m looking forward to the most is the premiere of Don Herzfeldt’s new short, “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” on Thursday, plus the cast reunion party for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast that’s happening Saturday night.

FRIDAY – December 2nd

Devin Ashby – Survived a Very Bibbiani Thanksgiving

Shame Opening in Theatres! – Coincidentally-named British filmmaker Steve McQueen’s follow-up to his completely fucked-up 2008 film, Hunger, is about a sex addict living in New York City. McQueen is a director I’m generally excited about, and Fassbender is my new favorite person now, ever since I saw A Dangerous Method last week. This film apparently includes some explicit sex scenes, and it looks about as harrowing and cripplingly depressing as McQueen’s first film was. Only this time, there’s BOOBIES! HOORAY!!

SATURDAY – December 3rd

Alexander Raymond – Survived Having Matt Kelly as an Employee (maybe)

Addams Family/Addams Family Values Screening – I’m very excited about this screening taking place at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre. I’m an incredibly huge Addams Family fan dating back to the first time I saw repeats of the TV show in the 70’s. Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester and the rest of the “creepy and kooky” family have been a consistent presence virtually my entire life. So when I read these movies were going to return to the big screen this weekend, I was really thrilled. Addams Family and Addams Family Values are the big screen adaptions of the Charles Addams cartoons. While not directly based on the TV show, many of the elements are present. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, both films star Anjelica Huston (Morticia), Raul Julia (Gomez) and Christopher Lloyd (Fester) in fun adventures that fans of dark comedy will surely enjoy. The screenings begin at 7:30pm on December 3 at the Aero on1328 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, CA. More info: http://ww.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/the-addams-family-addams-family-values

SUNDAY – December 4th

Russell Sherman – Currently Surviving Cold Weather In Canada

Mario Kart 7 – Some of us who have no lives will have finished Zelda by now and Mario Kart will be your next conquest.  Add your friend codes to the comments below (or in the thread here) and we can all have a rockin’ good time online like the rest of at Geekscape did when Mario Kart Wii came out.

Josh Jackson – Survived Being Mobbed By Female DDR Fans

Mario Kart 7, the last game left to look forward to in 2011 will finally arrive. This is a no brainer for 3DS owners as the fun, hectic racing that the series beings is finally making a return, only this time taking a cue from Excitebots with karts that sprout gliders and propellers for air and underwater races. And if you don’t have a 3DS, there’s nothing else to look forward to, so go kill yourself.

Heidi Hiliker – Survived Fighting Off Wolves In The Wilds of Michigan

Neverland on SyFy – I’m extremely interested in the SyFy Channel’s newest miniseries event about Peter Pan. I’ve always been interested in the fable and love seeing creative re-imaginings such as the film “Hook.” I’m note too sure of this made for TV adventure because it is by the same creative team that brought us the sadly disappointing “Tin Man.” I won’t let that horrible take on OZ deter me from giving “Neverland” a chance. Perhaps  and hopefully it will surprise me. http://www.syfy.com/neverland/