Friday 7/12

FRIDAY! - Couldn't have gotten here sooner...

Have you ever woken up thinking that your life is actually a TV show? Like in the Truman Show. Thinking like that has started to give me performance anxiety - should I learn to dance? What if I sang a song? Should I come up with a signature catch phrase; "I gotta go clean the cat box." has a ring to it. I just hope I can keep my ratings up so I don't get canceled for another 60 years or so.

Got A Bit Of Catching Up To Do!

We'll I'm somewhat back to normal here today - I took a little bit of a road trip into new territories and it was well worth the adventure I'd say. BUT that also means I missed out on about 2 days worth of awesomeness. SO to get things going I'll start with what I woke up to on my facebook page this morning:
click the pick for a larger view - 

It's...it's beautiful! Needless to reiterate at this point but I am a nerd. I have thousands of comics and hundreds of action figures and I have been waiting SO long for figures of the Adam West and Burt Ward Batman and Robin! Ever since Hot Toys announced they were making a 6th scale replica of the original 60's Batmobile over a year ago - I have waited. When Neca Toys announced they were making 1/4 scale figures of Batman and Robin, I have waited for the announcement for Hot Toy's figures. Today that wait paid off in spades. I have no idea when the release date of these is going to be - I don't care - They WILL be mine! Any more news after this is pointless to say the least but...NEXT!

Oooookay... Really? 

This trailer started making the rounds the other day and I can't help bring your attention towards SHARKNADO! - yeah you read that right - I don't even need to explain it, just watch the trailer and enjoy the helping of stinky Limburger.

Yeah... I caught a nice subtle Jaws nod in there but woof does this look ruff - in ALL the best ways! As a lover of bad movies - this is something I can't pass up. Sadly since I don't have the Syfy channel(or cable as a whole) I didn't get to enjoy this farce for it's premier last night, but as soon as it's out on DVD - consider one copy sold! Onward! 

I Like My Frankenstein With More Stitches And Body Parts!

This is a project I have been very interested in over the last year is starting to gear up it's promotional materials. Yesterday we got our first look at Aaron Ekhart as the title monster in I, Frankenstein.

And... eh... He just looks like a guy that got into a bad car accident and decided it was a good time to go to the gym. Considering the advancements of makeup effects and CGI trickery - I expected better. A trailer should be out soon since this film has a presence at Comic Con. But... yeah... my enthusiasm has waned. Moving along now!

To leave you, here is the first trailer for Disney's Saving Mr. Banks. This little romp features Tom Hanks as Walt Disney who is working very hard to woo the rights of Marry Poppins from Emma Thompson. Looks like pure 100% authentic Oscar bait - but in this case that could actually be a good thing!

Looks quite charming and Tom Hanks is always great. Could have enough sap to fill up a Christmas tree, but given the mass destruction that's been on display this summer season - I'm happy for a little calm and quiet at the movies.

With that I shall leave you for the weekend. Enjoy the days, be good, and remember Dear Readers, if you're lost in the wilderness with a group of friends - it's okay to find the weakest member of the party, tie that person to a tree for the bear and run for your lives - the irony is that the bear would ignore that person and chase you instead. Best if one of you lived rather than none!

  

Thursday 7/11

Thursday! - Hold it together people the weekend is almost here

Ever get deja vu? Then you start to wonder where you'd seen that thing or heard that phrase and then you get deja vu from the deja vu? Then you start freaking out thinking you've already lived this life or that your brain is losing grip on reality and then you get deja vu from the deja vu caused by the previous deja vu? That happens to me every time I go to Starbucks...

Still doing something a little different...

Don't worry it's not another rant, although that was fun wasn't it? Lots of great feedback on that one! But it also got me thinking about what I want this blog to be and where I want it to go. Sure the random movie notices and toy news and things I think are goofy can be fun and all, but it isn't that rewarding, so every now and again, I'm thinking each Thursday I'm going to post up only the random awesome things I've spotted around the internets. Why Thursday? Because it's the day before Friday and in my experience when you have a weekend staring you in the face you need all the fun and positive reinforcement you can get.


to get things started...

SUPERHERO CAPES FOR KIDS!!!

Here is something that anyone with a beating heart left in their chest should find incredibly charming and absolutely wonderful: Tiny Superheroes. Living in Seattle, Washington, there is a woman named Robyn Rosenberger, she sews capes for sick and disabled children in hospitals all over the country. It all started after she made capes for her own son and for her nephew's birthday, later she learned of a child that was hospitalized with a rare skin condition - so she decided that kid needed a cape too! From there it has grown into an incredible act of kindness that has spread throughout 45 states and into 11 countries. Seriously - go take a look at their website. If you don't have at least one little tear welling up in the corner of your eye with a gigantic heartwarming smile on your mug after reading one of the stories... I gotta worry about you. Robyn and her team have made over 700 personalized capes in under 6 months! Just from the pictures on her site, you can see how happy each child looks. if you want to help out and fire off some bucks their way - there is a Donations Link on the website.
Moving along now....

Ever Wanted to Learn how to Dance?

Well this young lady took it upon herself to learn - by teaching herself! Watch and enjoy the progress

I could never pull off moves like that. My hulking barrel chest and long, stiff ape-like arms kind of prevent that level of fluid activity. Plus I have zero sense of rhythm and would be all off in the choreography. But I just thought this was a solid addition to the series thus far. NEXT!!!

Remember the Old NES Cheat Code?

Well it STILL WORKS! Zip on over to UK Vogue, or Wired UK and enter the old Konami code from the NES days: (using arrow keys) Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left Right, B, A - and keep pressing A as much as you want and you get-

RAPTORS IN HATS!!!

On the Wired UK site... you get SCIENCE RAPTORS and NION CATS!!!

Now for something truly terrifying, if you go to Buzzfeed and enter the code you go from the normal page:

to this unspeakable horror:

blink your eyes and try and forget that as best you can

Cool eh? If anyone knows of any other sites that are hosting this code add it to the comments below! Keep the fun of the internet alive!

Well, that's pretty much all I got for you today, hope you enjoyed this slight deviation into new territory. It was fun for me at least! And with that, remember Dear Readers, cat litter sand is meant for cats... not humans. I know it's tempting to think that if you use their box they'll clean up after you instead, but it's just not so. You are their slave forever; an indentured servant destined to live out their whims...or face the consequences!

Wednesday 7/10

It's Wednesday - Time to start planning for the weekend!

I wish they'd name tropical storms and hurricanes after character stereotypes, it'd make for better headlines. "Drunken Angry Father Looks to Wreak Havoc Along Coast" or "Clingy Ex Girlfriend Looks To Ruin Weekend." It really would spice up the weather reports and offer a bit of context for the severity of the situation. "Abusive Sibling Swats Midwest" really communicates the damage better than a simple name like Dwight, Helga, or Sebastian. Just an idea.

Now For Something A Little Different...

Normally right about now you would be getting my random recap of movie or toy news and what nots that have occurred within the last couple days, but today is going to be a bit different. Since this is my chosen soap box, it's time I do a little ranting and raving to justify this blog of mine. Every now and again I'll be climbing up to this stage and letting off a little bit of steam. Don't worry, it won't be anything political necessarily, but at least topical and interesting. I'll do my best to maintain my usual level of sarcasm and wit to keep the tone light but still on topic. Today's rant: Freedom of Speech

Ouch... I know I said this wasn't going to be too politically topical but there has been a growing trend in the media world that is getting to a point where one can't help but commentate on it. In this case I am referring to the growing call for boycotting the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. 

Let me get started by saying that I just finished reading the book just a couple of days ago. It is a fantastic literary work. The story is thrilling and hard to put down and the writing is engrossing. It's a book that once you start it you want to finish it as fast as possible. The central story is about a young child that is recruited into an elite military academy with the goal to train the next generation of military geniuses that will save the Earth and all of humanity from an alien invasion. With that, if/when/already have read the book, it should be recognized that it is a daunting task to adapt a work that spans the better part of 10 years and covers a swath of political and social themes into a single film, but Writer and Director Gavin Hood is giving it his best shot. Where is the controversy you might ask? Well the short answer to that is the novel's author Orson Scott Card.

Orson Scott Card is a seminal science fiction writer with dozens of award winning and respected works to his credit. He also happens to be a strong opponent to any and all LGBT rights movements from marriage to child adoption. Where one could excuse the random musing and verbal rumblings(which he made many and most of them quite horrible about gays and lesbians which you can read here if you're inclined to make yourself angry.) of one author about a political issue,  but as a longtime member of the board of the National Organization for Marriage, he's made it a mission to seemingly topple any and all gay rights causes. The National Organization for Marriage in a nut shell does everything it can to stop or roadblock any and all efforts for marriage and rights equality for gays and lesbians. They're extremely vocal and politically active with a strong following. In recent months, weeks and with the latest Supreme Court ruling over turning the Defense Of Marriage Act - his mutterings have garnered a great deal of attention. 

I'll say it flat out up front that I do not agree with the dude. He may be a fantastic writer but when it comes to the real world, his table is missing a few legs. Because of his spoken and written statements on the matter, the film adaptation for Ender's Game has come under fire. Not because of the content of his book - children being trained to kill - but his spoken and written words away from the book. There seems to be some kind of post hoc ergo propter hoc scenario at play that if you pay for a ticket to see the movie(which I plan to do) you therefor support Orson Scott Card's views(which I don't). You can read The Mary Sue's musings as well as a blog post from Alyssa Rosenberg on Think Progress about the ethical guide to consuming controversial media. They all make very lucid and interesting points, even going so far as to use Card's own words against him to highlight the errors of his arguments. However, there is just one problem with all this. Well more than one but to start, the man has a constitutional right to express himself no matter how wrong we might think he is. In this instance he and many others think he's right. When everyone thinks they're right how can anyone be wrong? The truth of it is everyone is right and everyone is wrong because everyone is a collective hypocrite.

That may be a bit judgmental but it is very, very true. All of us state final judgments on certain issues but then find excuses and rationalizations for other problematic topics. This is bad, That is good; and these certain things should be avoided at all costs - plastic, religions, politics, music, Monsanto, movies, books, fracking, the environment - pick your issue, find your stance, and live in the murky grey area. To be fair and honest, lets use me as the main example. To get the ball rolling; Mel Gibson. Here is someone I think is a brilliant filmmaker, but a deeply flawed individual. Do I like his views about certain people and religions? No. But I will defend Apocalypto and his other works as exceptional examples of story structure and film making prowess. I don't like his views on certain issues, nor do I defend his rumored violence towards women, but there is a part of me that hopes he can get his head back on straight, put all that behind him and get back to doing what he does best.

That brings me to Victor Salva. Who is he you might ask? Well he is the writer and director behind such films as Jeepers Creepers, Powder, and the adaptation of Peaceful Warrior. He also happens to be a convicted child molester too. Yup. He was convicted of 5 felony counts of having sexual relations with a 12 year old boy which he also video taped in 1988. Since then his career has trudged forth and has numerous writing and directing credits to his name. In fairness I didn't learn about his past until after seeing the second Jeepers Creepers movie, at which point I was thoroughly disgusted. You watch Powder - a movie about an outsider who is mentally and physically tormented, or Jeepers Creepers - a creature that hunts for various parts of teen boys to rebuild its own body and I get pretty sickened out when you put those films in the context of Salva's past. As such, I steadfastly refuse to watch any of his movies, ever. But on the other side of the same hand I defend Roman Polanski - not so much his terrible past deeds, but the subsequent series of films he's created since. I admit that I find rationalizations; he survived the German occupation of Poland, his pregnant wife being murdered by the Manson Family, he was on drugs at the time, he's been married almost 25 years to one woman and they have 2 kids; et cetera, et cetera. From The Tenant to Rosemary's Baby to The Pianist - I actively work to separate the man from the artist so I can continue to enjoy the art. Would I want to be in the same room with the guy? The film nerd in me says yes, while the man in me would want to break his legs. I am a hypocrite - I would never give the same consideration of separating the art from the man towards Victor Salva. 

This brings us back to Orson Scott Card. I could bring up numerous other writers and artists such as Isaac Asimov had a penchant for non-consensual butt-pinching, Hemingway was an alcoholic womanizer, Leni Riefenstahl has her numerous issues, and I'm sure if we had a time machine we could discover more than a few peccadilloes to judge Shakespeare for and give reason to ban his works or deem him irrelevant today; but that would miss the point. The point is, here is an excellent opportunity for us all to rise above it and end the hypocrisy if even just once. There are a lot of careers attached to the success of the Ender's Game film, the cast of child actors, writer director Gavin Hood, the digital effects crews, I won't include Harrison Ford - he's pretty successful already - but boycotting this film is more than just boycotting Card. It isn't known to me and I can't find any information as to whether or not Card gets any back end cash from the film so I can't directly say that if you support the movie you support Card. But that seems to be the main argument of the boycott regardless. Which I think is missing the greater opportunity. 

In light of the recent legal progresses for the LGBT community(whom I fully support) in several states and in the Supreme Court, I see a fantastic chance for them to become greater than they already are. Rather than boycott Card, why not invite him? If tolerance is the ultimate goal, it has to be two-fold. While his response to the boycott: "With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot.  The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute." - is more than a little dickheaded, he does have a point. If you want to break it down in archetypes of hero's and enemies - the enemy is down, they've lost big and with this kind of momentum, they're going to keep loosing. However, I will advocate the old adage "don't kick a man when he's down." If you're really for tolerance and civil debate - THIS is the perfect time to extend a hand, help the guy back up onto his feet so you both can look each other in the eyes as equals. Here is a chance to invite the guy to a rally. Take him to a screening of a gay/lesbian themed movie or play, send him great works of literature, but the ultimate goal should to wake the man up, not stomp on him. I'm a firm believer that change and understanding occurs through education. Show him that the fears he's supported and spouted are completely wrong by not adding fuel to the fire. We all fear the unknown until we get to know it. Here is the perfect chance to not be a hypocrite(as we all tend to be). I'm not advocating going to see the movie if you don't want to and if you really feel that strongly about the guy, good on you, but this is could well be the inroad needed to turn a great "enemy" into one of your greatest allies. It may not work; I'm a realist, some people are incapable of change no matter how much evidence contrary to their position they're given. But if there is a chance you could win the war - why not take it and travel the high road? With a stringent and vocal boycott campaign you run the greater risk of looking as bad and emboldening the cause you're working to enlighten. Food for thought, I've said my bit. Leave comments if you've got them.

Don't worry - tomorrow I'll be back to being my usual sarcastically funny self. Enjoy the day!  

Tuesday 7/9

Tuesday - A Day That Will Live On In Infamy... 
for no reason what so ever... 


Ever catch a scent in the air that fowls your nose causing you crinkle up your face like a rat? You sniff around trying to find the source of it roaming around your living space searching high and low, and no matter where you look, no matter where you go, that smell is there. Then you realize... that smell is you. Yeah I hate that too... glad I am someone who showers. I just wish the strangers I came into contact with did the same... cus woof! Horse apples are not bars of soap and should not be used as such.

The Book Progresses!

Day by day, bit by bit. I'm clearing a solid 2000+ words per day now while doing rewrites as I go along. I discovered a slight plot hurdle that gummed up the works for a few days. It's really hard to maintain a schedule when you realize something that's been staring you in the face for 2 months comes to light. As such, lots of retooling being done so I have doubts that I'll make my Birthday deadline, which is a bummer but you know what? For all the creative stuff I've been doing, between blogging and launching a Youtube channel... I'm cool with that! I've done a lot of great work in the last 30 days. Could I be doing more and better? Sure I could! But you don't become a pro the first day on the field. It takes time, hard work, and dedication. Maintaining a schedule of blogging every week day at least once for a month has been a huge accomplishment and I give myself a pat on the back!

Super Awesome Wolverine Clip!

Want to see some early action of everyone's favorite angry Canadian? Then take a look at the first clip from The Wolverine! Normally, since I hate spoilers of any kind and all types and that also includes advanced clips shown out of context, I usually don't watch these things. But since Wolverine's last solo adventure kind of sucked quite frankly, I gave myself permission just so I'd know if this was actually worth spending bucks on... and I am quite impressed - Take a look for yourself!

This looks far and away above and beyond better than X-men Origins: Wolverine. That movie's action sequences sucked on digital toast. I hope the 3D conversion holds up because that would be a pretty incredible sequence to see in the 3rd Dimension!

James Cameron and Alfonso Cuaron SPEAK!

Zip on over for to Screenrant, they have a fantastic video up there featuring Cameron and Cuaron talking about the state of the industry. Also you'll find an update about Cameron's Avatar Sequels as well as a bit about the long gestating Battle Angel. It's interesting hearing two directors whom have both made fantastic contributions to sci-fi films talk about the state of things. If you're science fictionally inclined and enjoy the film making process, give it a listen.

This clip has nothing to do with the above... I just loved this episode of South Park!

yeah that's about the truth of it.

Who Likes Their Toys Murderous and Creepy?

That's right ladies and gents - there is a new Chucky movie coming out! Curse of Chucky! Score! Heading straight to video, this little show actually looks like it sports some pretty good production values. It's nice to see they're still doing the practical effects doll instead of going the CGI route. Check out the teaser trailer and get a look for yourself!

Aside from the pretty damn awful third film, this is a series that's held up pretty well. There has always been a sick and twisted sense of humor to the whole thing about a doll that just so happens to be inhabited by the spirit of a deranged serial killer. Also fun is the fact that the great character actor Brad Dourif has stuck with the series going on 30 years now as the voice of everyone's favorite killer doll!

Time to get back to the writing, I shall leave you now. Be good out there and remember to click "subscribe" to get all of my posts! And with that, remember Dear Readers, if there are lush green plants in your refrigerator when you haven't gone to the store in months... you should probably clean your refrigerator out more often.

Monday 7/8

Monday...Rinse Wash Repeat

How were people's weekends? No international incidents? No major citywide destruction as you fly about smashing an evil supervillain who also happens to be the last citizen of your destroyed home planet through and into sides of buildings causing untold amounts of collateral damage? No? That's good! Then you did the weekend right!



Well a bit of a milestone passed by me over the last week and I didn't even notice it until a couple days ago. Last Wednesday just happened to be the one month anniversary of the official start of this blog! Damn does time zip by fast. It also sounds like we just started dating - "We have been going now for One Month, Three Days, 4 Hours and like 17 minutes!" I want to thank everyone for reading each day, it's been really exciting to see my daily view numbers creep up, up and up! I've gotten readers from Russia, the UK, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Chile, and last but not least Germany, Hungary, and Denmark - My People! Hello extended family that doesn't know me! It's a pretty damn great feeling knowing your weird random thoughts and musings are being enjoyed by people all over the world...even if it's really like 20-30 people...it still counts! Keep reading, and I'll keep writing! ONWARDS!!!!




Awesome Movie Trailer!

I dig movies; can't you tell? I especially love the ones with a little moral message tossed into the fray of a sci-fi epic, or grisly horror movie. Snowpiercer looks to be one such movie. Check out the trailer for yourself:

Looks pretty decent, a bit on the nose using rail transportation as a means to highlight class warfare but could be entertaining. I dig the cast, I spotted John Hurt in there, Tilda Swinton is always awesome and Chris Evans, like in Sunshine is seemingly at his best when he's bearded. Did you see Sunshine? Check it out if you haven't, worth the time. Also as someone that frequently took the Amtrak from Ann Arbor to Chicago; I understand the need to break out of your compartment! NEXT!

More From Comic Con! 

The Hollywood studios that own Comic Con now have disclosed the schedule of movie panels. Interesting attendees include the new Godzilla, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I Frankenstein, Seventh Son, and Chris Hardwick of The Nerdist, all will have a presence at the Con in some fashion. I hope that this means we'll be getting some first real footage out of Godzilla, and Captain America 2. SO when the con gets rolling next week, get ready for a steady stream of trailers and juicy new details! - I really tried to find an "official" pic of Godzilla for this post but none are to be found, even the rumored ones have been taken down by Legendary Pictures so lets hope we get our first official view of the big guy soon! - Still, gotta dig the updated look for Captain America!

Special Feature News!

Check in on Into the 3rd Dimension while you're reading, I have my review for the 3D Blu-ray of Jurassic Park up for your enjoyment! It's big and lots of fun, and if you have a 3D TV, worth the investment!

Other super HUGE News?

What? You want more from me? Well, I just so happened to have finished my latest Trailer mashup! That's right ladies and gents and little germs, I bring you Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie Epic Trailer!

Taking the background sounds from the classic original Alien trailer, I spliced in clips from my other favorite movie and Saturday morning TV show. Hope you enjoyed it!

Till next time - Take your comments out of your pocket and leave them below! Want to read my updates as soon as they come out? - Click on the Subscribe button to the right of the main page!With that Dear Readers, remember if you're given the opportunity to work at a theme park featuring the title creature from a monster movie, pass... it never ends up well and if you're an usher or tour guide, you can pretty much write off any future plans you may have made.