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https://www.thenerdelement.com/2022/02/10/sundance-review-we-met-in-virtual-reality/

With the emergence of NFTs , Cryptocurrency and Metaverses, Joe Hunting’s documentary We Met in Virtual Reality has found the perfect time to be relevant. VRchat originally released in 2014 via Microsoft Windows application, is both the subject and platform Hunting used to shoot the documentary. VRchat is a virtual world in which users can create 3D avatars and interact with each other. While marveling at the ability to film and conduct interviews in such a space it can be a bit confusing for those not used to the platform.

The 90-minute documentary opens up with a group of avatars learning how to drive in the virtual space.  While this provided quite the laugh, it did set expectations on how this documentary might present itself going forward. Conversations are happening simultaneously at times making for a confusing experience for the viewer. Hunting, however, strikes up a balance with one on one interviews to keep the viewers engaged.

We Met in Virtual Reality follows a group of users in avatar form for the entirety of the film. Two couples, DustBunny & Toaster and DragonHeart & IsYourBoi takes us through building relationships within a virtual space. Toaster was mute for two years but finding the virtual space helped him let go of his anxiety and began to talk again. Toaster jokes that after meeting DustBunny he can’t stop talking. The couple have meet once in the real world but due to Covid restricts of their countries they had only been able to meet that one time. During covid the VRChat allowed the couple to blossom their relationship and grow extremely close , a chance they wouldn’t have in the real world.

DragonHeart and IsYourBoi are also navigating a long-distance relationship that thrived during covid via the VRChat space. The viewer was allowed to witness an engagement ceremony between the two , where they affirmed their commitment to each other in both VRChat and the real world.

The documentary isn’t all rose-colored glasses. It dives deep into some of the reasons why people turn to VRChat. From battling addiction, to mental health issues, to suicide attempts this documentary does a great job of showing some of the relief these communities can provide to those that need it. Several times it is mentioned that there are no expectations put on you in the VR space as in the real world. You are free to be whoever you want with no judgement. The current state of society being extremely judgmental via social media one can see the draw this type of community would have to a lot of people  

One of the main users the documentary focuses on is Jenny who is an ASL teacher. With the help of user Ray_Is_Deaf , Jenny was able to adapt her ASL teaching to the virtual space. Jenny takes us through how she instructions people in the virtual space and some of the complications due to VR equipment when it comes to signing. Jenny gives the viewer great insight into what this space means for others. She translates a ceremony Ray_Is_Deaf participates in honoring his brother who sadly took his own life. Ray_Is_Deaf used VRChat and the community to help facilitate the healing process.

Though We Met in Virtual Reality starts out as corky and cute it really does address the reasons why people turn to the VR space and why it is so necessary for some. With the lack of adequate of mental health care in multiple countries, it is always nice to see any outlet that people can use to help them in their time of need. For some the VR space is just good fun. While Joe Hunting’s documentary can be a bit confusing at times, the overall message comes screaming through and it is one to invest your time in.

The post Sundance Review: We Met in Virtual Reality appeared first on The Nerd Element.

http://nerdywithchildren.com/top-remote-control-cars-for-kids-or-kids-at-heart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-remote-control-cars-for-kids-or-kids-at-heart

Go fast (at scale) with this list of remote control cars for kids!

There are few toys more classic than remote control cars for kids. Coming in all shapes and sizes, from palm of your hand to big enough to hold a child; there are so many ways to play! Boy or girl, young or old, who doesn’t want to pick up an RC controller and turn your living room, sidewalk, or backyard into an instant racetrack? Well, with this list of crazy cool cars, any kid—or kid at heart—can get their motor running! So, if you’re ready to get racing, read on! It’s time to drain batteries, burn rubber, and check out our list of the top remote control cars for kids.

Hey, real quick, if your kid’s into cool gadgets and electronic gear, pop on over to our article about the top toy weapons and gadgets to bring out your kid’s inner secret agent!

Now then, get ready… get set… gooooooo!

The post Top Remote Control Cars for Kids (or Kids at Heart) appeared first on Nerdy With Children.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/the-best-part-about-euphoria-isnt-the-actual-episode/

Written by: Kailynn Johnson

On Sunday, February 13, we gathered around our favorite streaming devices to watch what was believed would be one of the most explosive match-ups of 2022.

Sides had been chosen, and many had hoped that their chosen player would reign supreme.

The face-off in question wouldn’t have the setting of a football field accompanied by a halftime show, however. This match-up would be set in one of the most cutthroat and brutal places out there. 

High school.

A new episode of HBO Max’s Euphoria was set to air at 9 p.m., and we were all waiting to see what was anticipated as the culmination of the Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) vs Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) drama.

In the week prior, an on-the-run Rue Bennett (Zendaya) had exposed one of the biggest secrets this season during a drug intervention. Cassie had been sleeping with her then best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi).

The tension around this episode was intense, and a showdown seemed inevitable. After all, a Twitter user pointed out that for Episode 6, Maddy wasn’t wearing any nails.

Y’all notice in the trailer for episode 6 maddy aint got no nails on pic.twitter.com/0XJXbaLGvM

— NANAS WIT THE ILL NANA (@nanasofficiall) February 8, 2022

Such a keen eye is needed for a Euphoria stan. How else would you know that Rue’s signature crimson hoodie was worn by her dad? Or that Labrinth’s “All For Us” was used throughout the show’s first season to artistically narrate Rue’s drug addiction?

Fan theories are nothing new, and neither is the anticipation for a new installment in our favorite TV sagas. On November 21, 1980, 350 million people tuned in to the hit television drama Dallas to solve the mystery of one of the most historic cliffhangers in TV history: Who shot J.R.? Fans had eight months to comb through theories, using remnants from reruns to try to piece together answers. 

The phenomena of social media apps have made this guessing game a little more fun, giving us the opportunity to digitally connect with other fans to see how their theories line up with ours. One user will have picked up a tiny detail in a character’s room, while another would spend hours analyzing Maddy’s body language in the hot tub weeks before. Everyone wanted answers, and this seemed like the perfect way to put our AP kid skills to the test.

So when we dimmed our lights and opened the HBO Max app, it seemed like a girl fight was inevitable. Not only had someone created a mock Super Bowl flyer featuring Maddy and Cassie, but after a week of circulating fan theories, this seemed to be the only logical move.

i’m so excited for superbowl sunday!!! pic.twitter.com/BLvDMRwgXU

— ??? ♛ (@playboymels) February 12, 2022

Then, it didn’t happen.

It seems as if we were collectively let down after clinging on to the meticulous calculations of our fellow Euphoria fans.

And while everything seemed to fit together so perfectly, there was no time to waste over a wrong prediction. There are now four more episodes in this season, meaning there’s still time for our showdown prediction, ⁠amongst others, to come true.

And yes, there are many.

In what has cemented itself as one of the most explosive episodes so far, Season 2: Episode 5, also leaves us wondering more about one of the scariest women in the Euphoria universe, Laurie. Several dark rumors loom around Rue’s experience with the drug lord, after having her stash flushed down the toilet. It’s still a waiting game, but fan theories tend to get more complex the longer they go unanswered. Next week’s episode promises to address another major plot point, the play with Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow).

To viewers, it seemed as if Lexi’s play had gotten lost behind likes of the Rue, Elliott, and Jules’ love triangle and the explosive Cal Jacob (Eric Dane) episode. However, with a trailer including a healthy mix of draw drops and audible gasps, we can guess that major bombs will be dropped in this high school production.

Lexi has become a fan favorite in this episode, with many not only excited to see her directorial debut but also to see if she ends up with the loveable drug dealer Fezco.

Shortly after the season premiere, fans were already shipping “#Fexi,” with fans hoping that as an additional episode drops, we get closer to closer to the two finally being together.

However there’s no dominant conspiracy theories that keep this fandom going, nor are there any easter eggs (yet) that indicate their fate. In fact, this demonstrates another aspect of Euphoria fandom that many can appreciate, and it’s the idea of rooting for your favorite character.

Underneath a tweet that predicts the fallout of Lexi’s play to be synonymous with that of Regina George after printing out the Burn Book, a user picked up on the fact that Rue looked like she was clean, which was accompanied by a meme of a dog and a user smiling. Underneath this tweet, you’ll find many more users sharing their excitement that Rue seems to be committing to sobriety.

Lexi’s play about to be a mess but Rue looking clean #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/eAVGbebymX

— A (@_freezetxt) February 14, 2022

There also seems to be a collective backing for Maddy as she continues to deal with abuse from Nate, while also dealing with betrayal from her best friend. Others are keeping their fingers crossed for more screen time for Kat, the show’s only plus-size female character.

Fans may have found a place for us to cultivate our fan theories, but it’s also a way for us to voice our hopes for our favorite characters and to share our excitement when they experience positive character development.

While your main hope for the show may be for Rue to become a part of the 5% or to finally see Lexi and Fez together, you can guarantee there’s a fan theory or hive of hope that helps fuel your curiosity until next Sunday.

Euphoria airs Sunday nights at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/american-reckoning-a-candid-testimony-of-southern-american-history-shared-with-honor-and-reverence/

Documentary films elevate important stories often set aside by dominant culture. The film American Reckoning bravely tells an often ignored narrative of Black self-defense and the multiple consequences of resisting white supremacy. 

Wharlest Jackson Sr. was a husband and father of five who worked three jobs to support his family and was treasurer of his local chapter of the NAACP. In 1967, while driving home after working overtime from his factory job, he was murdered. Someone took his life by placing a bomb on the driver’s side of his car. 

As the story of the NAACP coming to Mississippi to protest Wharlest Jackson’s death is told, the audience is taken on a familiar journey: Black folks organize to vote and white Southerners organize to shut it all down with terrorism. Footage of members of the Ku Klux Klan brazenly parading around town in their hoods and robes, faces exposed, and openly threatening Black people at their Klan rallies is jarring, but in American Reckoning, the audience witnesses Black Southerners with guns ready to protect themselves and their property unapologetically. Directors and producers Yoruba Richen (The Killing of Breonna Taylor, The Sit In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show) and Brad Lichtenstein (When Claude Got Shot) show viewers a side of Black resistance not often seen. American Reckoning takes the audience on a civil rights emotional roller coaster that thankfully ends with a sense of hope.

Three years before Jackson’s murder, his friend, co-worker, and NAACP local president George Metcalf was severely injured when a bomb was placed under the hood of his car. As the Black community organized to peacefully protest the murder attempt, they also armed themselves for protection. A high point in American Reckoning is when the film turns its lens to the Deacons of Defense and Justice. A group of Black men travel from Mississippi to Bogalusa, Louisiana, to meet with the Deacons to learn how to organize themselves to protect their community by openly practicing armed self-defense. 

Black people arming themselves to protect their families in the South is not a new phenomenon. There’s a wonderful montage of historic paintings and photos of Black resistance in America from the 1600s to the 1960s as professor Akinyele Umoja (author of We Will Shoot Back) shares that Black communities taking up arms to protect themselves with force was not an unusual notion. The notion of non-violent protest was unusual. Your usual civil rights documentary from this time period would show Black people stoically sitting at lunch counters while screaming white people pour hot coffee on their heads or Black people getting beaten and knocked over by fire hoses while bitten by German shepherds. There is none of that here. Nah. We see brothers with shotguns ready to protect their families against the Klan. We see Black women, children, and elders peacefully protesting while protected by Black men. Seeing the footage of Black men in this time period organizing in barbershops and in Black neighborhoods prepared to defend themselves is inspiring. I wish there could have been more about the Deacons. I really loved this part of the film.

Hillary Bachelder’s expert editing blends never-before-seen archival footage from the 1960s with interviews from the 1990s and current day that connect the 21st-century civil rights uprising with the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. The directors don’t shy away from showing the sexism that existed in the civil rights movement back then, giving a multifaceted nuance that humanizes the movement. 

American Reckoning is also a heartbreaking chronicle of the continued injustices faced by Jackson’s family who, for over fifty years, have tried to get the American justice system to find and prosecute the men responsible for their father’s death. The Jackson family is just one of thousands of Black families who dealt with the consequences of their loved ones being murdered for just wanting to live head held high with human dignity during Jim Crow. According to the documentary, in the late 1960s in that area of Mississippi, there were over 46 unsolved murders of Black men, women, and children. The documentary alleges these were possibly at the hands of a select club within the KKK. John Lewis has a meaningful cameo appearance late in the documentary, which makes this family’s journey even more compelling. 

American Reckoning is a part of FRONTLINE’s Un(re)solved initiative, a series of documentaries that showcase the federal government’s investigation of over 150 cold cases from the civil rights era. Un(re)solved includes a podcast, a web-based interactive experience, and a live traveling augmented reality installation. 

American Reckoning reminds viewers of Black communities’ unstoppable ability to protect themselves and advocate for justice. This way of life has always been how Black people have lived in America — connected to resilience and authentic power no matter what. Although American Reckoning is very tough to watch at times, the end left me feeling inspired, ready, and able, knowing that Black resistance lives in our bloodlines.

American Reckoning opens theatrically Friday, February 11, 2022, for a one-week exclusive engagement in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center. American Reckoning then premieres on PBS’s FRONTLINE February 15, 2022, 10PM ET/9PM CT streaming on PBS.org/frontline and in the PBS video app February 16, 2022.