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Steam Is Adding Support Of DUALSHOCK 4 Controllers

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Eurogamer reports that Steam will be adding native support of Dualshock 4. Valve's Jeff Bellinghausen said that the PS4 controller will not be the only controller Steam...read more on Gametyrant

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James Gunn Talks About The Female Roles in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2.

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There have been a couple of solid female roles in the Marvel Studios filmography, but there's always room for improvement, and it sounds like that's exactly what writer/director James Gunn has done from Guardians of the Galaxy to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I somehow missed this the other day (apologies for the delay), but the filmmaker took to Facebook a couple of days ago and spoke out about how he's written fully-rounded female roles in his upcoming sequel. Here are a few snippets of that post:

Women all over the world have been pushed to the sidelines in the interests of men, and their personhood is often forgotten or delegitimized. This is true in the realms of politics and education and religion. But it is also true in the realm of STORIES. That is my personal area of expertise, and that is where I believe women – and girls – deserve the fullness of character that men have often received...
I am sick of stories where there are a bunch of fully realized male characters and one female character, whose primary characteristic is simply being "the girl” or the personality-less object of some man’s affections. I’m not sick of this because I’m politically correct – those of you who know me know I am far from that – but because it’s boring, and it’s b.s. Likewise, I don’t think only making female characters “strong” is a fix either - you see her all the time these days, the perfect female warrior, who is a reaction to the stories of the past, but who is equally as boring and one-dimensional...
I have done my best, as a male writer, with varying degrees of success, to bring female characters and female stories to the forefront. Whether they're protagonists like Ana in Dawn of the Dead or Starla in Slither, comedy relief like Deadly Girl, Nightbird, and Power Chick in The Specials, or the insane, scene-stealing roles usually reserved for men, like Libby in SUPER. And I can’t wait for you all to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with Gamora, Nebula, and Mantis in action, where we not only pass the Bechdel test, but run over it and back up over it again and again in an eighteen-wheeler truck, and where their stories and the men’s stories don’t come at the expense of each other, but are interwoven in a way to strengthen and optimize all of them.

I'm glad to hear the female characters will be a bit more in the forefront this time around, because I felt like Gamora and Nebula were slightly pushed to the side a little in the previous film. I realize it was an ensemble, but it would have been nice to have seen just a bit more of them and their story and conflicted relationship (they are the daughters of Thanos, after all). In any case, this just makes me want to see his movie even more now, and I was already incredibly excited about it. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5, 2017.

Netflix Mini-Reviews: 13TH and AMANDA KNOX

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Recently, I carved out some time to watch two of Netflix's new original documentaries: Ava DuVernay's 13th and Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn's Amanda Knox. I didn't quite feel as if I had enough to say about either to warrant a full review, but I still wanted to offer my thoughts about them, so here goes.

Let's start with Amanda Knox. Personally, I didn't pay attention to this insane murder mystery story as it was happening a few years ago, so this whole thing was presenting almost entirely new information for me. From what I've heard, that's the best case scenario as far as your starting point going into this movie; I've seen people write that those who already know the history of the case won't learn anything new here, and while I can't speak to that, it definitely works as an engrossing piece of entertainment that covers the basics of the case. I won't spell out those details here in case you're like me and don't know about them yet, but though this movie is far from even-handed (Knox herself appears on camera in interviews, and the filmmakers are clearly on her side), I still found it fascinating and worth a look, largely for reasons I'll explain in a second.

Side note: On one hand, I'm a little leery about the recent boom of true crime stories being repackaged for the masses as entertainment, but on the other, I sort of can't get enough of them. Does that make me a hypocritical, horrible person? I don't know, but I'm definitely conflicted about this topic and would welcome your thoughts about the phenomenon.

13th, on the other hand, is not a murder mystery, because there's no mystery at all about how members of the black community have ended up being incarcerated at a much higher rate than white people. (One of the statistics mentioned in the film is that 1 in 17 white men are likely to go to jail in their lifetimes, while it's a staggering 1 in 3 for black men.) The film slowly and thoroughly traces the history of systematic oppression from the days of slavery, touching on the impact of the original The Birth of a Nation, Jim Crow laws, the Civil Rights movement, the War on Drugs, and the importance of the structure of leadership and the power of social media in the current Black Lives Matter movement (which can't be suppressed nearly as effectively as previous push-backs against the community were). It's a must-watch for everyone, but I fear some people may avoid it because it doesn't fit in with their own political narratives; sadly, those are the people who would learn the most from it (I'm not trying to be condescending — I learned a great deal from the movie as well, which is why I think everyone should watch it, but you know what I mean).

The thematic throughlines that both films share — and really the reasons I want to recommend both — are how the media shapes the narrative of these stories and how elected officials enforce them.

In Amanda Knox, the media is personified in Nick Pisa, a freelance "journalist" at a British tabloid who, on camera in a new interview for the film, practically relishes reliving the case and seems seconds away from clapping with glee at the memory of every sensationalistic and ridiculous headline he wrote which perpetuated Knox's assumed guilt. He's a real scumbag, the kind of guy who had no ethical qualms about publishing a part of Amanda's diary that contained a list of her sexual partners that was only written because the Italian government tricked her into thinking she had HIV (which turned out to be just a bullying tactic to try to get her to confess). The media creates a firestorm of sensationalism because the circumstances surrounding the story make it "juicy," and they keep pouring fuel on the fire for years as they attempt (and mostly fail) to uncover the truth...consequences be damned. In 13th, it's the nightly news and shows like Cops that are put on blast for constantly reinforcing imagery of black people being paraded across our TV screens in handcuffs and contributing to stereotypes that far too many of us have accepted.

In both films, politicians and government officials involved don't come out unscathed. 13th is a documentary made for this exact moment in time, before its audience votes in our upcoming presidential election. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both make appearances in clips throughout, and while both have some troubling moments, as the film wraps up it's crystal clear who comes out looking better than the other in regard to their positions on race and the criminal justice system. In Amanda Knox, the Italian prosecutor of the murder case admits he was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, and the way the case was handled reeks of a guy doing a terrible Holmes impression, pulling crazy theories seemingly out of thin air with little to no evidence to support them. The small city's local police force and, by the end, the entire Italian judicial system look questionable at best and downright idiotic at worst.

If I had to recommend one of these movies over the other, I'd say to watch 13th because I think it's more important to understand the history behind conversations we're having right now as Americans. But both have some interesting things to offer, and I hope you let me know what you think in the comments if you decide to check them out for yourself.

Editorial: DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS Isn't a MINECRAFT Clone, and It's Better Because It Isn't

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Look...I get it. You see a game with blocks and a crafting system and you don't even have to think about it before your brain says "Minecraft Clone." They're fairly common...read more on Gametyrant

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OPERATOR Trailer Shows Martin Starr Falling For a Digital Version of Mae Whitman

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Martin Starr is best known for comedies like Freaks and Geeks and Silicon Valley, but he's always been an underrated dramatic actor. Same goes for Mae Whitman, who was so great as Ann (her?) on Arrested Development. So it's cool to see them team up for a new film called Operator, which looks like it deals with the intersection of love and technology in a similar way that Spike Jonze explored those topics in Her a couple of years ago. Check out the full synopsis and the trailer below.

Joe (Martin Starr) loves data. He tracks his diet and exercise, his mood and sex life – turning the information into beautiful charts that help him control his often overwhelming anxiety. At work Joe designs personalities for digital customer service voices, but his latest robo-agent for a client is a disaster. In a moment of inspiration he enlists his wife Emily (Mae Whitman) to serve as the template for the redesigned voice. The project goes well until Joe’s obsession with replicating his wife’s empathy threatens their marriage.

Operator calls in to theaters on November 8, 2016.

Growing Up Geek: My Grandpa Was a Huge Influence in My Life

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Earlier this morning, I learned my grandpa passed away. I was lucky enough to be in town visiting family and to be able to spend some time with him last night before he passed. My grandpa and I were incredibly close — he was my best friend for the longest time. I spent a lot of my childhood with him and they were some of the most fun and memorable times of my life. I’m completely overwhelmed with grief and every time I think about the times we spent together, I just break down and cry. 

My grandpa’s name is Leo Paur, and he’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. He’s one of my heroes. He served in the Army in World War II and spent a lot of his time in the Pacific. He even served as part of the security detail for Bob Hope when he was on his WWII tour in the South Pacific.

I’ve heard stories from my dad and his sibling about how much of a hard worker my grandpa was and how he sacrificed so much to provide for his family. He worked as a construction worker, and even in his retirement years, which is when I got to spend most of my time with him, I always saw him working on something. 

I loved going to the movies with my grandpa. He would take my cousin Derek and I all the time and he would gladly take us to the same movies multiple times. Two films I remember seeing over and over again with him are The Gate and Ernest Goes to Camp. We saw those two movies in the theater so many times! 

He would also always take me to a cafe for breakfast. I would also get a chocolate donut with hot chocolate and then spend the rest of my time talking to him and playing Pac-Man while he ate his breakfast and talked with his friends. I always liked it when he would stand behind me and watch me play Pac-Man because I liked showing off how good I was. 

Of course, it was always awesome when he would take us to the toy store and buy us G.I. Joe action figures! He never got mad at us when we went into his back yard to shoot them up with my BB gun. It was later on in life when I got mad at myself for doing such a stupid thing! I miss my G.I. Joes, but I’m going to miss my grandpa so much more.  

One of my all-time favorite things to do with my grandpa was when he would take us to a little town in Utah called Helper. This was a coal mining town that my grandpa grew up in. It's the town where my family began its American journey. He would tell us about his childhood there, what it was like growing up and working in the coal mines. One time a mine caved in on him and broke his back. He almost died, but managed to push through it and live a long life. He would take us out to explore the town and the coal mines where he worked. We did this a few times when I was a kid and it’s something my family and I still enjoy doing on rare occasions. Just by chance, my brothers and I just happened to go up there this past weekend to relieve the memories. We had no idea my grandpa would pass away a few days later.

He was just one of the most selfless and kindest manly men that I knew and he taught me many important values of life. Hard work and honesty are two things that immediately come to my mind. He always talked to me about hard work and I spent a lot of time helping him out on certain projects around the house. 

One of the biggest life changing experiences with my grandpa came when I was five years old. He took me to the store one morning to get some food. I remember I wanted some grape Bubble Yum Bubble Gum, so I took it and shoved it in my pocket. I stole a pack of gum and when we were in the car I jumped into the back seat and started to devour it all. I shoved more than half of that gum in my mouth before my grandpa smelled it, pulled over the car and asked where I got the gum. After I told him I took it from the store he immediately turned the car around and headed back. I’ll never forget the disappointment he had in me as he talked to me about stealing and how it is wrong, how lying is wrong, and that we have to strive to be honest in this world. He gave me a dollar and walked me back into the store where I apologized to the manager and paid for the gum. I will never forget that moment. Every time in my life where I’ve been tempted to be dishonest about something, I always think of that moment and choose to take the right path.

I love my grandpa with all of my heart. I’m so sad that he died, but he left a powerful legacy behind him. I’m going to miss him so much, but I believe that he’s in a better place now and that I’ll see him again one day. 

WONDER WOMAN Will Be Lighter in Tone Than BATMAN V SUPERMAN and SUICIDE SQUAD

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One of the things fans of the recent DC films love about those movies is that they're often dark and gritty. But hopefully that's not the only aspect of them they enjoy, because Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, told Variety that those darker tones aren't the result of a company policy:

“There’s a misconception that DC or [parent studio] Warner Bros. has made a conscious decision for all our movies to be darker or edgier. That’s not the case. Fans of the DC universe know that there are characters, like Batman, who are darker, but there are others like Wonder Woman, who are hopeful, optimistic leaders, and the tone of [Wonder Woman] represents that.”

Deborah Snyder, who's producing Wonder Woman, echoed that sentiment:

“‘Wonder Woman’ is very different in tone and style than ‘Batman v Superman’ and ‘Suicide Squad.' We pick directors who have their own points of view, so that each of our films will have their own personality.”

The idea that WB and DC are filmmaker-friendly may be a nice sentiment to put out into the world, but the behind-the-scenes turmoil of Suicide Squad showed that it's not necessarily true. Despite David Ayer claiming that the theatrical cut was his director's cut, the studio reportedly had a totally different cut of the movie edited together by the company that cut the trailer, which doesn't quite sound like "allowing directors to have their points of view" to me.

But they're doing what they can to try to convince us that Wonder Woman will be different. “Patty brought a beauty and a sense of lightness or humor, and a little romance to it,” Nelson said. “It’s a very aspirational movie.” Even DC Comics publisher Jim Lee got in on praising the film, saying:

“[Director] Patty [Jenkins] has really taken a very inclusive approach and tried to weave a lot of these disparate elements into one cohesive whole. Fans who have been reading ‘Wonder Woman’ for decades will be really blown away by how [the film] synthesizes the origins and brings her into the modern era.”

As for Jenkins herself, she's taken inspiration from one of the lighter superhero films out there: Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie.

“‘Superman’ was all about you,” said Jenkins. “It was about you watching and realizing what it would feel like to have great powers and do great things. It was full of love and emotion.”

We'll see if she can bring some of that same kind of magic to the big screen when Wonder Woman arrives in theaters on June 2, 2017. Check out the trailer here.

WB Locks Down Possible Release Dates For BATMAN and MAN OF STEEL 2

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Warner Bros. is making headlines today for announcing dates for two untitled event films. Film studios usually don't do this unless they're something big that they aren't quite ready to announce yet. Comicbook reports the news comes from Twitter user Exhibitor Relations:

So you're looking at this information and thinking "where the f*** does any of that say Batman or Man of Steel 2." You can quit looking, because it doesn't. The reason for the educated guess is mainly due to all of the other DC films already having release dates, minus these two recently-teased films. 

There's also a chance it could be a Justice League Dark movie or potentially a Suicide Squad sequel, but smart money is on Batman and Superman. Kind of crazy the studios have superhero films scheduled so many years out, right?


British Man Takes On Evil Clowns Dressed as Batman

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While evil clowns in the streets are becoming a worldwide phenomenon, one man in Cumbria, England has had enough. Comicbook reports that a resident dressed as Batman (seen above) has been patrolling the streets for spooky clowns and scaring them and chasing them away when seen. 

Check out this picture of him chasing some clown around:

Pretty amazing stuff, right? We now have heroes rising up to combat the weirdness in our world. It would be even cooler if he was wearing a Batman Beyond costume so we could really make a connection between fiction and reality! 

LOGAN Storyboards Show Wolverine Going Claws-First Through a Windshield

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We've written nine articles about Logan in the past week, which means 20th Century Fox is in the midst of its first big publicity push for the movie. The studio has been dropping photos left and right on its wponx Instagram page, but now we have a couple of new behind the scenes images from a different source: director James Mangold himself.

Mangold jumped on Twitter and shared a couple of storyboards of a sequence in the movie that involves...well, take a look:

That reminds me a lot of a move Chuck Norris pulled in this old movie called Good Guys Wear Black:

Looks like Logan's not messing around this time. Hugh Jackman has hinted at the character using the berserker rage from the comics, but we'll find out if that actually makes in into the final cut when Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

Awesome Fan Art Depicts New "Alolan" Forms of Classic POKEMON

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I happened to stumble across some awesome fan art this morning depicting fan wishes for "Alolan" forms of classic Pokemon! For those who aren't sure what that means...read more on Gametyrant

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ASH VS. EVIL DEAD Has a 99% Critic Rating On Rotten Tomatoes

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If you like to listen to critics, Ash Vs. Evil Dead is can't-miss television. Even if you don't, average viewer rating is only slightly below the Rotten Tomatoes score critics have given the Starz series. Currently, the series has a 99% Critic rating and a 96% approval rating from audiences! 

Is the show really that good? I'm not sure it says THAT, but it certainly proves it's a show fans love. Evil Dead has been around so long I would wager that when this series was announced, the critics that enjoyed the old films jumped right in and the rest took a hard pass. Let's be honest, Ash is a bit of an acquired taste. 

That said, I know Joey is a huge fan of the show and has had nothing but positive things to say about it. GeekTyrant fans who watch the series: tell us why we should be tuning in!

Quentin Tarantino is Researching The Year 1970 For a Mysterious New Project

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I really dig the movies of Quentin Tarantino, and while all cinephiles are disappointed to hear that he plans to only direct ten movies before he retires, I'm very much looking forward to the next phase in his career. He's expressed interest in writing novels, stage plays, film criticism, and more, and I can't wait to get more access to the way his mind works aside from just seeing his movies on the big screen.

Deadline recently had a reporter at the Lumiere Festival in Lyon, France, where Tarantino gave a master class presentation on the year 1970, which he sees as a turning point for both American and international cinema. During the event, he revealed that he's been doing research about that specific year for the past four years with the intention of...well, it's a little mysterious:

"Am I going to write a book? Maybe. Is it going to be a six-part podcast? Maybe. A feature documentary? Maybe. I’m figuring it out."

There are a ton of quotes from the famed writer/director in the full piece (which is worth a read if you're a fan of his), but that quote above is the most tantalizing. The thing about that statement is, I'm interested in every one of those options. A book? Sure. A documentary? Absolutely. A podcast? Amazing. Can you imagine listening to a Tarantino-hosted podcast? I couldn't subscribe fast enough if that became a thing. Until he figures it out, we'll be here wondering and speculating away about what this project might be.

Watch: New POWER RANGERS Trailer Mashed Up With Classic Rangers

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It was only a matter of time before someone mashed up the new Power Rangers film with footage from the classic '90s series, and I'm glad Darth Blender got to it first! I'm always a fan of his mashups as they're really well done and he did it again with this one. 

I have no idea how he manages to get clips similar to films so quickly! It's kind of amazing. 

New WESTWORLD Photos and Posters: "Every Hero Has a Code"

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I didn't write a full piece about the second episode of HBO's Westworld, but I'll probably end up writing about it if something insane happens and then maybe doing a season wrap-up piece after the finale. But I thought this past Sunday's episode did a good job of expanding the show's world while at the same time leaving a bunch of unanswered questions for us to hopefully find the answers to later down the line. I'm definitely intrigued about what Dr. Ford has in mind for his new storyline, and I'm still waiting to get a better sense of the rules of the park and how exactly it all works. Here's hoping they deliver in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, HBO sent over some new photos from the third episode (which airs this coming Sunday, October 16th, and a couple of new posters for the show itself. I love the poster above, and wasn't as crazy about the one below the photos, but I've apparently had differing opinions with a lot of our readers about the posters for this show, so I'd love to hear what you think about them in the comments.

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Video Essay Shows The Brillance of Transitions in SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

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I'm usually down with everything Nerdwriter posts on YouTube but when I saw he did an essay on Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, I couldn't post it fast enough! The video is about the brilliance of Edgar Wright and the masterful way he creates transitions within the film. I'm sure the focus was intentional as Wright was trying to recreate the feel from the graphic novels and guide the eyes of the audience as they watched the film. 

Check out his full breakdown in his latest video below. 

Two New Chris Rock Standup Specials Coming to Netflix

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After largely being absent from the stand-up comedy scene for the past few years, comedian Chris Rock is prepping a huge comeback with Netflix. THR has the details, including the fact that Rock will be recording two new specials for the streaming service:

The first Rock show will tape in 2017 and follow a new world tour that is currently being planned. It's unclear when either that first show will air or when the second will tape and be rolled out.

More comedy from Rock is always a good thing. I re-watched one of his old specials on Comedy Central recently, and while a couple of the jokes (understandably) don't quite resonate the same way, most of the show still worked incredibly well. He's a dynamic, vibrant voice in the comedy scene, and the idea of hearing new takes from him about today's issues is exciting.

"Increasingly, Netflix is becoming the preeminent destination for stand-up comedy, partnering with top-tier talent across a wide variety of styles and humor, enabling them to bring their fresh, distinctive and hilarious voices to our members in 190 countries around the world," said Lisa Nishimura, VP original documentary and comedy at Netflix. "Our members discover every day that we truly offer something for every comedy fan, and the comedians we partner with understand the power of having a direct line to our ever-growing global audience. Coming on the heels of our first Emmy win in the category (Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping), now is the perfect time to take things to the next level with Chris Rock."

Aziz Ansari (whose excellent show Master of None also has a home on Netflix) shared a photo of himself, Rock, Dave Chappelle, and John Mayer (of all people) on stage together last week at the Comedy Cellar, so those of us in New York and L.A. might be well served to keep our eyes peeled for Rock workshopping some of his new material before that world tour begins.

At the Cellar last night.

A photo posted by @azizansari on

Watch '80s Motivational Rock and Gore Come Together in The Most Bizarre Way in SHADOW WARRIOR 2's Opening Credits

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"You got the power" in the opening credits to Shadow Warrior 2. The much-anticipated game looks as though it delivers in the opening credits as it blasts Stan Bush's...read more on Gametyrant

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J.K. Rowling Announces There Will Be Five Total FANTASTIC BEASTS Movies; See Tons of New Footage From The First One

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I hope you're ready to spend a lot of time in the wizarding world, because writer J.K. Rowling just announced at an IMAX fan event that there are going to be a grand total of five films in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise:

The announcement was made during a live stream fan event, which you can watch at the very bottom of this post. Warner Bros. also released a new featurette from the fan event that's packed with new footage, including a couple of quick ties to the later Harry Potter movies. Fans are really going to dig this.

Side note: this might mean that those recently-announced dates for WB event films could very well be for Fantastic Beasts sequels, not The Batman and Man of Steel 2.

The first movie in the Fantastic Beasts franchise hits theaters on November 18, 2016.

Video: 24 Similarities Between JURASSIC PARK and THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

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Couch Tomato is back with this week's "24 Reasons" video, and this time he's pointing out the startling similarities between Steven Spielberg's iconic hit Jurassic Park and David Yates'...not so iconic The Legend of Tarzan.

Sure, they both take place in jungle-style environments, but how about the idea that they both have a character named John who both have golden-colored rocks used as ornaments? This, and many more bizarre similarities contained within!

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