Geek of Oz

. Given that 2016 marks 75 years since Captain America made his first appearance, by punching Mr. Adolf Hitler square in the jaw no less, I thought I would take a couple of minutes to look back on a few of my favourite Cap stories from the comic book page and the silver screen. But before I do I thought I would quickly address the elephant in the room ... What does a character so strongly linked to the USA have to offer a dork from Australia? Many people, including myself many years ago, write off Captain America. For the uninitiated he seems like a propaganda-driven caricature, a two dimensional personification of the United States' interests and a constant reminder of America’s bombastic ego. After all, the colours and heraldry of the US flag are emblazoned across his uniform and the name ‘Captian America’ isn’t exactly subtle. Of course, anyone who has actually read a Cap comic knows this interpretation couldn’t be further from the truth. For starters he w...

Well, it’s been a damn fine year for cinema, with standout films in almost every genre. Since the internet is in dire need of another top 10 list, I humbly present my best films of 2014.  As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s cinema. Feel free to tell me your favourite films for the year in the comments below or come over to our Facebook page to shoot the breeze. Bring on 2015. - Stu Honourable mentions

2014 has been such a phenomenal year for cinema that my list of top 5 films has blown out to a top 10; there were just too many staggeringly good films this season. I strongly urge you to track down these films if you haven’t seen them. 1. Her directed by Spike Jones 2. Inside Llewyn Davis directed by the Coen Brothers 3. The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson 4. The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese 5. My Sweet Pepper Land directed by Hiner Saleem 6. The Raid 2 directed by Gareth Evans 7. Under the Skin directed by Jonathan Glazer 8. Only Lovers Left Alive directed by Jim Jarmusch 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo 10. Nebraska directed by Alexander Payne What's the best film you've seen this year? - Stu

Before I start this review I need to be up front about something. I've been reading comics from a very young age, mostly Marvel, and I still read them now. I suppose you could call me a bit of a fanboy when it comes to the Marvel Universe and their diverse range of characters. Now that we've got that out of the way, I can honestly say that even if I wasn't a Marvel fanboy, I'd still love and enjoy Captain America: The Winter Soldier as much as I do. The ninth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, has Cap and Black Widow working for Nick Fury when S.H.I.E.L.D comes under attack from an unknown enemy. Without knowing who they can trust, they must uncover the enemy before it destroys them all. The script is very much akin to a 70’s political/spy thriller that delivers on all accounts, which has relevance even to this date about the true cost and meaning of freedom. Steve Rogers is a man out time, and that fee...