Banged Up, But Alive (and, finally, DragonCon)

Pretty banged up from the accident, but I guess the important thing is that I'm here.

DragonCon '06

It was a weird four days. I saw plenty of celebs: Tasha Yar, Philip J. Frye, Hercules, Catwoman, Batgirl, Wash, River, C-3PO, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, another Catwoman, Zorak, Brak, Georgia Lass, The Iron Sheik, Space Ghost, Jordan Radcliffe, Dr. Girlfriend & Hank Vanture, Master Shake, Joanie Cunnigham & Ralph Malph, Santa Claus, Church, Sulu and Sheldon the Sea Genie. Saw a few comic pro's as well, and a few of both that I didn't recognize at all I'm sure.

No autographs though, for me it was enough to see 'em, I didn't want to go broke getting crap signed.

Tons of folks in costume of course, my favorite being Galactus (complete with little Earth in the palm of his hand).

I brought a ton o books home, the best of the haul being the Earth X HC, Absolute Watchmen (for retail no less, no markup, surprised me), and Ult. Spidey Vol. 1-3. Haven't read a single one yet.

So that was my DragonCon report...or at leastas much as I can comfortably type right now, gonna go stretch the knee out a bit.

-L

Honestly, I Could Feel it Coming On

Longtime blog readers know how awful the fall/winter season has been to me (yet, it is still my favorite time of year). Well, it's not even got here yet and already I'm taking hits. Literally.

Got banged up in a car accident just yesterday, so I might be out of comission for a little while. My car was totaled and thankfully the other driver was okay. I've got several stiches in my knee, apparently it was a deep gash, and my right arm is burned pretty bad from the air bag deployment. So, to fall and winter I say: Bring it on! I'll be back, hopefully sooner rather than later.

-L

Shoot Your TV. Read Comics.

That's the slogan for Lost in the Dark Press, publisher of the Fragile Prophet GN. Which I recently read. And am now going to discuss. So, here goes:

Fragile Prophet
Written by Jeff Davidson
Drawn by Stephen R. Buell

The plot: Jacob has Fragile X syndrome, a disorder that not only causes autism, but grants him prophetic abilities. When he makes a prophecy that doesn't bode well for his future, nor that of his brother Esau, Esau does everything he can to prevent it from coming true.

I'd read the book's first issue last year when it debuted and absolutely loved it. I was extremely disappointed when I learned that it was canned and would later be published as a GN. Mostly because that usually means I'll never get to read it, but I was extremely excied to see it show up in Previews a few months back, and even moreso when I opened up a box of comics I recently recieved and found it inside (I had pre-ordered it, of course, but it still made me happy). I read it in one sitting, probably the first non-floppy I've read in over a month, and I loved it.

Davidson's plot is a breath of fresh air for me after reading nothing but 32 page capes books for so long (my own fault, I admit). Yeah, he does have some sort of "power", but the book is less about Jake's gift and more about the love he shares with his brother and addresses the eternal question of fate; can that love change the fate Jake has forseen? Buell's art is fantastic, though the "horseface" look of the characters originally took a bit of getting used to, but it's never distracting. I was amazed at the amont of character devlopment Davidson crams into a relatively small book, and without slowing the overall story down at all. In fact, if anything, it's too quick a read.

In his introduction Davidson says he'd originally invisioned it as a film, not a comic (and it does have a bit of a Rain Man vibe too it, something I hadn't thought about until now, and a bit of Dreamcatcher as well...the book, which was only slightly better than the shitty film...), and it does read like a movie. The art has a cinematic feel, the dialogue is crisp (despite one annoyance of a left out word).

As I said, my one complaint about the book is it's short length. We get very little background on Jake and Esau; about their life before the death of their parents, about how they came to the circus or even how Jake got his own TV show. But, it is a story that can be read and re-read; each time you see a little deeper into Jakes confusing world, picking up pieces of the puzzle you might have missed previously. A bittersweet read that looks into the mind and life of an autistic child without the kid gloves, a book that works on many levels, and definitely one of the best comics of the last year.

You can read the first few pages at the LitD website and decide for yourself.

And for anyone interested in Fragile X (yes it is a very real disorder), you can discover more about it here, including characteristics, theories on the cause, and ways to support awareness as well as donate to the cause.

-L

Are You Ready?

Tonight marked the season opener for the NFL. It was the Steelers vs. the Dolphins in Pittsburg. The Steelers trounced the Fish, despite a few stumbles by interim QB Charlie Batch. The Dolphins didn't look terrible though, and it was a great game. Personally I find it insulting that the opener was on a Thursday, but, whatever. Also, I don't see Thursday faring much better than Monday.

So, my Falcons start their season this Sunday...and I'm not holding my breath. A winning season would be a major victory at this point, a trip to the playoffs would be Heaven. After last years 2-6 finish I just want the team to be fuctional and wind up 10-6. Opening against the Panthers might put the team on the downward spiral early. Yeah, I sound like a bandwagoner, I prefer to be called a realist. I do think they'll have a decent season though.

More speculating to come, and eventually my recount of Dragoncon!

-L

A Brick, Andre and a Brave New World

How about my man Andre Agassi? I'm gonna start calling him the Comeback Kid.

Brave New World

Just to show you how behind I am on my comic book reading, I just read this. The series it promotes are already a few months old I think, a bit late for me to be jumping on probably. All for the better I think though. The only story that was even slightly appealing was Winnick's take on Shazam. I just couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the new Atom, the OMAC series looks like so much other crap that has come before. The Creeper seemed like a decent start, but that character just does nothing for me. Martian Manhunter...I just don't like the guy outside of the cartoons, and Uncle Sam felt like a re-hash of what they did with the JSA years back, and I just don't care. So, it wasn't a terrible wast of a dollar, but not a very good one.

Brick

Brick is a movie that defies modern description. I can take 99% of the movies made in the last 10 years and say "This is ____ meets ____ ." For instance? Jason Statham's new flick Crank- Speed meets Innerspace. See, pretty simple. The only movie I can point to for comparison with Brick is The Maltese Falcon, and that really is unfair to both films. Other than the crime-noir aspects they don't have too much in common. Except after watching Brick I can only think that this is what the people must have felt like walking out of the theatre in 1941. But, MF had been adapted once before in 1931, and it's based on a novel. Brick is a completely original work by writer/director Rian Johnson. His only other credited work is a short film titled Evil Demon Golfball from Hell, so I guess Brick is his debut feature film. And, as debuts go, it has to rank among the top.

The film is a throwback to those classics noir films like Maltese Falcon. The character speak in a very distinct dialogue and the movie doesn't have a single swear in it, but there are some pretty violent scenes, which I'd imagine is where the R rating comes from. The greatest thing about the movie may be that Johnson is able to...downsize? That might be the best way I can put it. Downsize the atmosphere of a city like Chicago or New York (or, at least the '30s stylizations of them) and bottle it up into a high school setting. And if that might not make sense right now, after watching the film, it will

Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in a (surprisingly) stellar performance as Brendan, a high school loner who investigates the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend after a mysterious phone call. He soon discovers her involvement in some shady dealings and gets himself further and further into a mess he may not be able to get out of alive.

Lukas Haas plays The Pin, the local pusher and possible cause of all the trouble, and you can just feel him channeling Sydney Greenstreet. It's an inspired performance and he almost steals the movie away from Gordon-Levitt. The rest of the cast is filled out nicely, most of the actors are unknown's to me, but I recognized a few faces from the teen dramedy scene. Narah Zehetner is excellent as Laura, and the two Noah's (Fleiss and Segan) as Tugger and Dode (respectively) are brilliant. Richard Roundtree plays one of the few adults in the film (the only other I can recall right now is The Pin's mom). Roundtree is the film's lone voice of authority, only instead of being a cop he's the assistant vice principle. And since Hollywood is so keen on nominations and awards for excellent, but extremely short performances, I'm crossing my fingers that Roundtree gets nominated for at least a Golden Globe this year (the movie might have fallen under last year's awards, but I'm never sure of those things. I can still hope!).

Though the movie is largely serious, it's not without its moments of brevity. The absolute best of which comes in a meeting between Brendan and The Pin. As the two stare at eachother across a dining room table, with Pin's goon looking on, Pin's mother repeatedly attempts to offer Brendan juice. It's not only hysterical (trust me, it is), but it grounds the story back in reality. It's one of the best scenes in any film I've seen this year.

From beginning to end Brick is a masterpiece of modern cinema.



Go Agassi!!!!

-L

The Kids from Columbus, Ga.

Earlier today the team from Columbus, Ga. (that's my town folks) beat the team from Kawaguchi City, Japan to win the Little League World Series. It's arguably the greatest game of Baseball I've seen since before the strike oh so many years ago. The only game that could have been better was Boston's win in the World Series. But, considering I had no emotional investment in Boston's win, this one was far more satisfying.

Japan's pitcher, Go Matsumoto (seriously, what an awesome name) put up one hell of a show. He struck out nine and seemed almost unhittable at times. But Columbus' pitcher proved to be even more impressive. Ryan Carter struck out eleven batters (keep in mind that there are only 18 possible outs in the game) and became the only pitcher in the history of the LL World Series to win four games. Both pitchers put up showings that would put some Major Leaguers to shame.

It was a truly amazing game to watch. These kids played with a passion and intensity that is sorely lacking in the Majors. They played with talent, no allegations of drug abuse tainted the purity of the sport. It was just pure baseball, and when it's pure there really is no better sport.

So, congrats to the boys from my hometown, we're all very proud of you.

Right now I'm watching Andre Agassi possibly play the last match of his career. He's struggling, , here's hoping he pulls it out. Maybe I'll actually get some posts in this week!

-L

Motorcycle Hero

Well...not so much.

In an attempt to get my comics reading to a manageable state (Currently over 75 GN's and Trades line my room and well over 150 floppy issues are stacked in a pile, all unread, not all recent material of course) I am going to monthly shipping from my online retailer for a while. Maybe.

So, yeah, I read Ennis' Ghost Rider: The Road to Damnation hardcover as well as the first issue of Daniel Way's new GR monthly book. As unimpressed as I was with Ennis' first issue when it first debuted, the story reads decently as a collection. GR gets out of Hell with some help an
must track down some demon. Nothing is what is seems and it's violent as all get out, exactly what you want in an Ennis book. But the art is atrocious. It looks like stills from an abandoned CGI heavy flik, with some dialogue added in word baloons, awkwardly worked into the panels. It all but makes the story unreadable. And it pretty much spits in the face of much of GR's established continuity. Not that I care, but it didn't much work that the last shityy GR mini a few years ago did it? Doesn't work here either.

Then we get Way's first issue. I've already decided to wait for the trades on both this and his Wolvie book, but damn he never fails to hook me. First, the immediately noticeable difference in art, here by Javier Saltares on breakdowns andfinishes by the always fantastic Mark Texiera. That alone makes all the difference in the world. Add to that Way's knack for acknowledging the recent past of characters he takes on and incorporating it into the overall continuity and it's just an awesome start to what I hope will be a fantastic run on the character.

Picking up where Ennis left off, Way has Ghosty successfully breaking out of hell, but discovers he's being played by Satan. It's filled with humour, action and so-so horror stuff. It's the humour that really pulled me in. Way out Ennis' Ennis here, and it just blows my mind. There's plenty of questions to be answered as well, hopefully ones that will drive the series for a while. I can't wait to see Way bring GR back into the regular MU, and I hope we get some definite nods to the history of the character, if not the out and out return of Danny Ketch.

So, avoid the Ennis version unless you're just a completist, or at least opt for the inevitable (and cheaper I hope) softcover. Instead, all you flameheads run out and pick up Ghost Rider #1. Then pray that the movie will at least be pretty good.

-L

Life, Death, Murder, Collectors, Kids, Dogs, Romance, the Handicapped and a Little Science

Everything is Illuminated

The directorial debut of Liev Schrieber, and it turns out he's a far better director than an actor, and he was/is a pretty good actor. Illuminated is the story of a man looking for the woman who saved his grandfather's life by helping him escape the Ukraine at the start of WW2. On the way he befriends a Ukranian man and his grandfather...and their dog Sammy Davis Jr Jr. Based on the novel of the same name, it's one of the most interesting looks at the Holocaust I think I've ever seen. The flashbacks can be confusing, at least until the end of the film. Elijah Wood gives an unusual, but excellent performance. However the real star of the film is Eugene Hutz, Wood's guide through the Ukraine on his search, and essentially our guide into the weirdness that is Wood's character Johnathan. His blunt nature provides both laughs answers, and the honesty Hutz plays him with is just moving. I really can't recommend this movie enough.


Grilled

Seeing Kevin James and Ray Romano as the film's stars was enough to pique my interest, reading the premise was enough to get me to bite. Two door-to-door meat salesmen get entangled in the world of organized crime. Wacky and not exactly original, but certainly intriguing enough to warrant checking out. I was pleaseantly surprised at the supporting cast (Juliet Lewis, Burt Reynolds and the always great Michael Rappaport), and even moreso at James' and Romano's ability to shed theor TV personas. That the two are close friends in real life certainly plays a part in their on-screen charisma. The script is very Tarantino-esque, stylized violence, snappy dialogue. It has that neo-noir feel, entertaining but been-there-done-that. Worth probably a rent at least.


High Tension

This movie sucks. It had me on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the screen and then they go and drop in an inexplicable "twist" to the story. I shrugged my shoulders and cursed M. Night Shamalamamamama-whatever for re-popularizing the damn twist ending. If you insist on watching it turn it off about an hour into it and just assume everything comes out okay, otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you.


In America

I repeatedly put off seeing this flick. I originally thought it might be some America-bashing story, though I'm not sure why I thought that. Then I read a few reviews and thought it might be some overly patriotic drivel. Apparently I walk a fine line when it comes to films about the U.S. Don't ask me why, I haven't a clue. But, man was I ever wrong. In America is the type of story you'd expect to hear someone's great grandfather tell, something that touches your heart and makes you remember exactly what the hell it means to live in this country. Patriotic, yes, but it never crosses that line into pushing an agenda. It's a story, not one of politics or religion, but of love, loss and having the freedom to succeed or fail on your own merits. The performances warranted the two nominations they recieved (Actress and Supporting Actor), and probably deserved another for Best Actor, if not wins in all three categories.


Intermission

Another Tarantino-ish (maybe more Guy Ritchie-ish in this case) story that centers around a group of people in Dublin. It's got a stellar cast and some great writing, but it comes too close to Lock, Stock for me to really get behind it. Colm Meany is just absolutely fantastic though and it will be interesting to see if director John Crowly can make his next film more his own and less like and Irish Pulp Fiction.


The Life and Death pf Peter Sellers

This was an incredibly hard film to watch. On one hand Geoffry Rush is as believable as Sellers as one could ever hope to be, and Stanley Tucci actually makes me want to like Stanley Kubrick, Charlize Theron is a knockout and John Lithgow is brilliant as Blake Edwards. But, it takes away severely from my enjoyment of Sellers' films. It's easy to understand and even sympathize with what he goes through, but there are times where he comes out looking like such an asshole that you really want to hate him.It was definitely worth watching the once, but I'll never be able to watch a Sellers film the same way again.


Little Manhattan

It's not often I can get behind a sweet" film, usually they make my teeth hurt. But, Manhattan is so well written, and the angst of young Gabe seem so real that you just get so wound up in the story. It's such an accurate portrayal of not only first-love but of the innocence of childhood, it sends you reflecting on your own life, remembering those very same moments from your life. Josh Hutcherson and Charlie Ray are fantastic as the two children in love and Mark Levin is almost flawless in his first directing gig (I noticed a very "Wonder Years" vibe in the film early on, and see that Levin was a producer on that show, not sure if that speaks good of me or bad of Levin, well, not bad...you know what I mean). It's a romantic comedy almost unlike any ever made, and while the cuteness often threatens to suffocate the performances, it thankfully never does.


Must Love Dogs

Despite my unabashed love for all things both Diane Lane and John Cusack, I really didn't like this film. Parts of it are okay, and with a little more screen time Cusack could have rocketed the movie past it's very thin premise. There were a few chuckles, and I really can't hate anything with the always beautiful Lane, but this is probably best avoided by anyone who wants some meaning behind their romance. Watch Little Manhattan instead.


The Ringer

The third in the Farrely "sweet" trilogy (what's with all the sweets?), oddly enough not directed by them. I'm not sure why they chose to not direct, but it actually pays off I think. There are far fewer silly gags here than in all their other films, focusing more on the heart of the story, that the mentally handicapped are oftentimes better (and in some cases no worse) than anyone else. Knoxville wisely sees that the film's true stars are those he's somewhat mocking and steps back, allowing them to take over the film and in turn mock him. It's certainly not the most PC film you're ever gonna see, and it shouldn't be, in most cases it's very blunt. It's probably the most honest and entertaining flik the Farrelly's have ever been involved in.


Stuck on You

Ah, and another Farrelly film. Only, I seem to be moving backwards. This was their second "sweet" film, about conjoined twins. It's full of visual gags and little jokes. I laughed for sure, and it really has a heart to it, same as The Ringer, but mostly it's just a film full of jokes, some morality thrown in for good measure. Not bad at all, just not gonna shatter any perceptions. That they would go a step further in The Ringer and actually cast those with the handicaps they were addressing showed a step in the right direction. Here Kinnear and Damon can never make you forget who they are, actors playing the part and making you laugh. Top notch effects though.


What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Man, this one blew my mind. Anyone interested in examining not only the origins of life, but the purpose of humanity and the effect our minds can have not only on our bodies but of everything we see. This must be what it feels like to drop acid.


-L

No Excuses That I Know

Okay, let's get to it!


Cable & Deadpool #30

Deadpool decides to hire himself out to the government to nab unregistered heroes. To demonstrate his usefulness at this he takes on the Great Lakes Avengers...err, Champions? Hell I don't know. Turns out they're already registered, hilarity ensues. This book has been a constant roller coaster of good and bad, but if there's one thing it handles well it's those damn cross over plotlines. Fabes takes a potential disaster and at least makes it funny and entertaining, which is all I ask of this book. Dear God how awful are thos Civil War covers though?

X-Factor #9

This marks the end of my monthly X-Factor reading, I'm hopping on the trades/HCs. I enjoy the hell out of it, and like Fabes, Peter David has a knack for handling the cross over junk brilliantly, I just can't keep up with what all is going on in the book. Quicksilver made a return this ish and the gang kicked the X-Men out of Mutant Town, which was cool as hell, but the overall plot has felt convoluted as of late, especially with Layla. Here's to one cohesive story, cheers.


X-Men #188-189

I haven't bought a regular X-Men title since Morrison left. (No, Astonishing doesn't really count.) What the hell have I missed? Seeing Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo as the creative team perked my interest, but only after I saw that my very favorite mutie was making an appearence (Ahem, Cable...). So I picked up the first part of this Supernovas arc. No Cable and some villains I apparently don't know. Second ish, still no Cable and even more confusing plot elements. What the hell man? Bachalo has not gotten greater with age, his art seems more confusing now than when he was on a regular X-book. Of course the shitty coloring job could have something to do with that too. Carey isn't bad, but the story reminds me of whe Calremont returned and brought those new bad guys with him. It was confusing as hell when it wasn't downright boring. Sabretooth was cool though.

Eternals #1

This seemed like a no brainer. Gaiman and Romita Jr, shoudl be a winner. And really, it's got potential, but this ish required so much exposition that there's no room at all for the character development. Understandable really, because how many people are boned up on their Celestial knowledge? Not me. Romit invokes Kirby while still keeping the book his own and Gaiman seems to have a solid story to tell if he can get past all the explaining. I'll be waiting patiently for the collection.


Batman #655

I really hoped that picking up another DC book after the whole Crisis thing wouldn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Looks like I picked a good one this time. Been awhile since I picked up a book starring Bats. At least a book set in continuity. The multi-issue, multi-book million part plot lines became a huge headache, not just Crisis, which I didn't even read. I'm talking about the Hush story, the Bruse Wayne Murderer arc, the Cataclysm, I could go back for years. It was just all too much and I sincerely hope DC's done with that, at least until Morrison leaves. Maybe one of the best Batman stories I've read ever...or at least a great beginning to what I hope will be such. Kubert is fine on the art chores, one need look no further than the second page spread to see how great he can be, but what really made the book stand out was how expertly Morrison captured the characters. It's not All-Star Superman, and it is a multi-issue storyline, but it looks to be a damn good one.

Detective Comics #821-822

Haven't bought a Bat book in years and I've picked up three in less than a month.With #821 Paul dini of Batman:The Animated Series fame takes over writing chores with what I suppose is a rotating art team, telling stories that are essentially one-offs, no multi issue arcs here! Both issues have Bats going up against knew villians, so to speak. Dini focus is mostly on the detective aspect of the character, something very, very few writers have been able to pull off. He does it possibly better than anyone. The firs issue he faces down a costumed creep named Facade. Nothing major or character altering, just a good old-fashioned mysterythat ends in a good old-fashioned ass whooping. The second issue is definitely the best of the two. Apparently Riddler has decided to become a detective himself, and evolution of character that makes so much damn sense I can't for the life of me figure out why it hasn't happened sooner. Riddler and Bats end up investigating the same murder, and while Riddler seems contempt to settle for the obvious solution, Bats digs deeper and finds out the truth, one-upping his former nemesis. It's ingenious and I hope they keep him on this track, he makes a much better foil this way. Add to it the beautiful covers of Simone Bianchi and you've got two excellent Bat-tales.

American Virgin #5

I really hope that this doesn't turn into Y, the Last Man, teasing us with the real reason behind Cassie's death until the book's conclusion. This issue feels like filler, holding the story between major plot twists. The funeral sex scene was downright creepy thanks to the uber-talented BeckyCcloonan. Here's hoping the story picks up a bit next ish.

Sidekick #1

I generally enjoy Paul Jenkins work. Or, I thought I did. Apparently when left to his own devices he's pretty humdrum. Sidekick is the story of a sidekick, pretty inventive, huh? Think The Tick told from Arthur's POV, only with vulgarit galore. No, it's not horrible, but Jenkins is, I think, a much better writer than this.

Elephantmen #1

If you're unfamiliar with the world of Hip Flask then this book would be likely wasted on you. Well, outside of the great art. I was hoping for something a bit more focused on the world that Starkings has created, but the stories here are mainly character pieces meant to give you an every day look into life in Mystery City. Good stuff though.

X Isle #1

Forced to abandon their boat, a group of people wash ashore an island apparently inhabited by monsters. None of that is exactly an original concept, but it's such a great mish-mash of concepts, on top of being well written and illustrated, that I was hooked by issue's end. What the hell are those Tremor-looking things and is anyone gonna die? Can't wait for the next one.

Jeremiah Harm #4

Jeremiah and the gang take care of one of Dak's thugs while he opens a portal to another realm. Not much I can say about this book that I haven't been saying. It really makes me want a new Lobo series though.

The Black Plague

Not really sure why they went with a one-shot that leads into a series, but it's a damn good read. A retired superhero and his former archenemy play chess in the park while someone else takes on the mantle of said villain, the Black Plague. Can't wait to see where this leads. It's like Batman Beyond for the villainous crowd. Plus it'll be nice to be reading a Joe Casey capes book again.

Second Wave #5

The group barely survives an encounter with some crazy townfolk as a pod lands nearby. Eh, not ever a bad read, there's just not much going on.

Dark Horse: 20 Years

Brilliant idea: Gather your talent, assign them to work on characters someone other than they created. Result: Hellboy by Adam Hughes, Aliens by Cary Nord, Conan by Sergio Aragones, The Goon by Matt Wagner, Groo by Paul Chadwick, Star Wars by Eric Powell, Sin City by Stan Sakai, Emily the Strange by Joss Whedon and Usagi Yojimbo by Frank Miller. There's more, and yeah it's just a pin-up book. But, damn does it rok. And dig that Mignola cover too!

Tales of Leonardo #2

Splinter leaves a blind Leo in the woods to find his way home, hallucinations ensue, important character traits are learned. Nice, just nothing worth writing home about.

Virgin Comics #0

Points for trying some originality, and I'm definitely checking out the Garth Ennis/John Woo project, but I couldn't make heads or tales of the two stories here. Glad it was free.

Whew...maybe you'll get some movies tomorrow!

-L

Scoop

When I saw that the local theatre was showing Woody allen's newest flick I couldn't pass up the chance to see it. Their track record with movies like this isn't exactly excellent, they're usually gone by week's end.

Scoop, like Allen's last few films, seems much more an experiment in moviemaking and genre-bending than an actual film. Match Point being the only real success there. The plot is pretty thin and just downright goofy, much like Melinda and Melinda, but Allen can always infuse his brand of humor into anything he makes, so it is damn funny. Having a fantastic cast on board didn't hurt either. It was nice to see him avoid one of the major problems I've had with a lot of his films, and that's making himself the hero/love interest of the story. Thankfully that seems to have ended with Hollywood Ending, which I'll admit to loving the hell out of despite that nitpick. Scarlett Johansson makes a good foil for Allen's neurosis, and the two play off each other surprisingly well. It's kind of startling to see her go from sultry seductress in Match Point to such a plain jane type of character she plays here. Not bad, I assure you, it just shows the lady has some acting chops and does not need to rely on her looks. Hugh Jackman though is almost a waste here. He enhabits the character just fine but there's not much for him to do other than meet his marks. The real moments in the movie come from the Allen/Scarlett chemistry. It's very Monk-ish, routine but oh so hilarious. Speaking of wastes, Ian McShane serves less of a purpose than Jackman, in fact his involvement in the story could have easily been written out. Which leads me back to my point about experimenting. Allen made a ghost story and a muder mystery and wrapped it up in a comedy.

It's not a bad film, not at all. In fact if you've liked any of his fliks from the last several years I'd recommend it. It has a very Abbott & Costello feel to it, only without the slapstick. It's certainly funny, it just doesn't have the genre-defining feel to it that Match Point had. But, in all fairness, how many films like that can one man make during his career?

Oh, and interesting little side note: Allen has directed 41 films in 40 years. I've probably only seen 10 of those, but geez, is there any more productive director in Hollywood?

-L

Some Tales, some Talent, some Aliens, some Roomates, a Boy Genius and Wolverine

Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Super Summer Spectacular

Yeah, these strips are basically "Marvelized" Calvin & Hobbes tales, but they're still amusing and often hilarious. I've enjoyed every collection they've released so far, and right now it's the only Sumerak i've been following. For some reason I dropped the Power Pack books he'd been writing, even though I was enjoying them. I think I was planning on buying the trades.


Wolverine: Origins #4

I (heart) Steve Dillon and Daniel Way. But, I've decided to drop this book for the sure-to-come hardcovers. This issue Cap and Wolvie go at it and it really is a hell of a brawl. I think Cap was slightly out of character, but I really don't give a crap, the whole MU is off it's rocker right now anyway. I still can't get over the use of the brown costume, definitely my favorite suite he's ever worn, I thought we'd seen the end of it for sure.My only problem with the issue? Who the heck is Hellion?


Tales of the TMNT #24

Wow, fantastic issue, mostly because of Hawthorne's excellent art. The plot's good too though, two "aliens" are uncovered amd begin wreaking havoc on the city. Tirns out it's only self defense and the duo unlock some interesting history of this world. I'd definitely like to see this story followed up on, but with this books history of that it might take a year or more.


Tales of Leonardo: Blind Sight #1

Case in point, this is a conclusion to a story I don't even remember. But, it's still a good one. Leo has lost his sight and begins pondering his purpose on Earth. The "What if? " nature had me scratching my head for a few minutes, but in the end it turns out to be an excellent tale. Can't wait for issue #2.


Archenemies #4

Well, while I really dug the first issue everything sort of whimpered out with the story. Nothing really gets resolved and the hero and villain learn to basically tolerate eachother. There's even a few dangling plotlines. And the art really suffered the last two issues, feeling very rushed. Probably not the worst first-eefort by a comic creator, but it never lived up to its concept.


Talent #1-2

But this, this is exceeded any expectations I had for it. The sole miracle survivor of a plane crash must help those who died with their unfinished business on Earth. Meanwhile the government and some religious sect is out to kill him. I remember it being touted as "Lost"-like, but I never made that connection, I assume it was only to try and bring in readers. Extremely well written with pretty good art, looks like Boom! Studios has another excellent product on its hands.


War of the Worlds: Second Wave #3-4

I've read a few complaints about the art, but it really hasn't bothered me that much. In four issues it's proven to be a better effort than Spielberg's film. After the group confronts an alien in the sewer they seek shelter at a farm house, only to find more survivors. When they make it to a nearby town, with even more, they find the natives are a bit hostile. I'm liking it so far, but I guess it's not for everyone.

-L

TV, We Talk TV

So, Tom made up a list. His Top 10 Sitcoms. I haven't talked much TV lately, and it got my brain going about a list of my own. He says no animation, so I'm going with that as well. So here goes...



10. That 70's Show

Probably a head-scratcher for most of you, but I love it. Now, I didn't watch the final season, but the first seven years, for my money, are great. Two words: Red Forman.

9. Sports Night

I'm fairly certain this was the first TV DVD set I ever bought. I never got to see the show in its original airing, catching it only when Comedy Central picked it up. But from episode one I was hooked. I wish Sorkin had continued with this show instead of West Wing (sue me, I hate it, it bores the hell out of me). I don't think I found a show I loved as much until Scrubs and Arrested came along.

8. Wings

I think part of the appeal for this show, for me, was the brother's aspect. Their relationship is so off and on, especially during the first few seasons, that it's sometimes like watching pieces of my life. Only without the airplane. It also introduced the world to two people who finally seem to be getting their due as actors; Tony Shaloub and thomas Hayden Church. I will always wonder how the hell someone living up north manged to have that thick of a southern accent (Helen). Yeah, I know it's not really thick, but it's still there.

7. All in the Family

Much like Andy Griffith (which I'll get to soon), it lost something after about five years. Only here it wasn't a character it was the situation. When Mike and Gloria moved out of the house the show really lost what made it so great. Even then it had its moments. But, yeah, those first five years or so are just great television. Who could ever forget Sammy Davis planting one on lovable bigot Archie Bunker's cheek? It'll always be one of the funniest moments in TV history.

6. Soap

"I'm the piece of chelief." Future WKRP chief, Gordon Jump said that in one of the first episodes I remember watching. I think it was around the middle of season one. But, for me, it stands as one of the funniest deliveries of any line in any show ever (oddly, he has another one of those to his credit, as Tom pointed out: "As God as my witness I thought tureys could fly"). And that doesn't even touch on the insane, goofy brilliance that was Soap. Mocking the daytime dramas, the show got away with things that few comedies could. Murders, prison sentences, alien abductions, demon posession, the first openly gay (regular) character ever on American television, cults...you name it they did it. And somehow it worked.

5. Cheers

I remember when this show went off the air. I was only 14, but I still cried. It really was like saying goodbye to your friends of the last eleven years. It also produced the longest running character in TV history, Frasier Crane. And, as Tom also points out, it survived, no, thrived, even after a major casting change. Maybe one of the only shows to do so. Also, the episode where Sam loses his lucky bottle cap: maybe the greatest, tensest moment in any sitcom ever.

4. Arrested Development

Three years, 53 episodes. The funniest show since Seinfeld ended its run, it didn't get many (read: enough) episodes, so they had to make every one of them count. And they do. There isn't a single one that doesn't get me roaring with laughter.

3. Scrubs

This is a tough call. It's easily a top five on my list, I wasn't sure about top three. But here it is. And it deserves to be here. Very few shows have the ability to me me laugh and cry, but to be able to do it in a single episode, that takes some serious writing chops. I've admittedly fallen behind with watching the show in the last few years, mostly because of scheduling rotations, but the first three years are three of the best any show has ever had.

2. The Andy Griffith Show

Even the episodes without Barney, after the show went to color, have the occasional laugh. But, for the first five years Andy and Don are arguably the greatest comedy duo ever on television. It boasts some of the greatest, funniest TV moments of all time (Barney pretending to be a mannequin, Barney reciting the preamble, any damn time he locked himself in the cell, teaching Otis how to drive...), and the list of spin-offs as well as the number of careers it launched is just astounding.

1. Seinfeld

It's simply the funniest show ever on television. Has any show EVER influenced culture as much as this one? Certainly no half hour comedy ever has. I can watch any episode and laugh, I don't think any other sitcom can do that. Not much I can say beyond that.

Yeah, there are probably a few that deserve mention, and there are definitely some that I haven't seen enough episodes to get them on the list. But, hey, that's where it stands.

And if I'd included animated programs? Well, that's be a different list altogether. Futurama, the Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, ATHF, Venture Bros. They might have knocked a few out of the top ten.

-L

Comics...Lots and Lotsa Comics

Ultimate Wolverine Vs Hulk #2

This came out a while back, and still no sign of #3. I love Yu's art, and I'm surprisingly intrigued by the story. I think Lindeloff really gives a sense of sporadicness (is that a word?) to the Banner/Hulk transformation. I love Hulk's inner thoughts, and I got a kick out of the nod to Bill Bixby. Also digging the mystical approach to the Hulk/Banner entity. Hopefully we'll get a new issue here soon.


Jonah Hex #9

Hex hires some men to find him for a woman that thinks he murdered her daughter, then they let him go...If that confuses the hell out of you then welcome to the club. The art is almost unbearable and the plot really doesn't make any sense until the end of the story. That's not always a bad thing, but here it just gave me a headache. Guess they can't all be winners, but if the next issue doesn't impress I'll likely drop the book.


The Flash #1

Well, since I didn't follow Crisis, I have no effing clue what is going on here. That's about the best way I can put it. I did like the art though.


All-Star Superman #4

These need to be coming out faster! Easily the greatest superhero book on the stands right now, Morrison taps into what used to make Supes comics so enjoyable (or so I'm told, I've never read one before 1980) and he makes Jimmy Olsen a character that you can really enjoy. AND he adds a little 90's flavor to the book, with great success. Seeing Olsen as Doomsday, one of the greatest things I've ever sen in a comic. Then seeing him go toe-to-toe with his idol? Priceless. Oh, and it's drawn by the always-excellent Frank Quitely.


Justice #6

I think I'm done with this book as a monthly. I can't remember what happens because the span between issues is so big, though I'm still enjoying it, I just get tired of rereading the last issue. Seeing Red Tornado strewn about in so many parts was gruesome, even if he is a robot, and the last image of Flash unable to stop running was haunting, as was Hal's discussion with his power ring. Shazam throwing Supes into the son kicked ass, but I wasn't impressed with the Bats/Wonder Woman stuff.


Y, the Last Man #47

The secret origin of Dr. Mann. I read this series would be coming to an end here soon, which means the group may be reaching the last leg of their little journey. As much as I do like the book, I'm glad. Vaughan has a bad abit of stretching everything out to an insane degree. This issue was good, it's about time we got to see a different side of the Doc, and the guest pencils by Sudzuku were excellent.


Tales of the TMNT #22-23

#22: The Turtles team up with Hatori (an old friend I guess) to take down his father's evil company. #23: The Turtles rescue Leatherhead from a prison in space and find out a startling secret about their origin. The Hatori issue was a good but forgettable read, but the Leatherhead issue really stands out as one of the best of the series so far. Hell it's one of the few issues that really addresses any real changes to the mythos of the Turtles.


TMNT #27-28

Mostly these two issues deal with Mikey escaping from prison only to be captured by another group of people (in space, of course) and Leo fighting in the Battle Nexus. Oh, and the return of Shredder...kind of. There;s really nothing I can say about this book that I haven't already. It's consistently excellent, Laird is determined to keep the Turtles moving forward, and the art is great. I did notice a logo change for #28, which I thought was odd, especially since it isn't really addressed in the letters/editorial page. I just hope we get to see the boys back together this year, it's been awhile since Mikey's seen his brothers.


Tomorrow (maybe): more comics!

I Bought a New TV

Which required the complete re-arrangement of my room, which only took three or four days to do, so I have no excuse for the last seven days of non-posting. Except for the working two jobs thing. I am enjoying my now-massive 32 inch TV/computer monitor though. The words I'm typing righ are bigger than my head.

Not really, but damn this thing is huge.

Okay, so, yes, I saw Superman. Yes I loved it. No, I don't understand what the hell is wrong with the rest of the country. No I haven't see Pirates, and I'm kind of pissed and the gawd-awful amount of money it's made. No Bruckheimer-produced picture should be that damn huge. But, hey, Jack Sparrow kicks ass, does he not?

Other movies I've watched:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

I remember the stage play fondly. I never saw it performed by anyone other than a local theatre group, but I loved it. I liked the movie, but it just left so much out. Great performances by all, I could have done without the "wacky" chase scene. Buster Keaton was good, not great, in his last movie role. He definitely could have used more screen time. Gotta love Zero though, I bet he killed the role live.


The Family Stone

I still cannot explain my hatred of Mrs Matthew Broderick, but she's at least tolerable in her performance here. Sometimes even good, like the scene where she gets plastered at a local bar. As far as "screwy" family comedies go, it's actually a great movie. Smart, funny, and the plot only has a few mild annoyances. Diane Keaton and Craig T Nelson give stellar performaces as the heads of this screwed up bunch of people. Hell the whole cast is good, including Claire Daines. It's not The Royal Tennanbaums, not even close, but from beginning to end it's an enjoyable film.


Chicken Little

I was fully prepared to hate this film. A non-Pixar CGI Disney flik? Probably crap. Nope. Hand it to the house of Mouse, they were finally able to produce a great, in-house (well, I guess it's all in-house now, huh?) animated flik, the first (good) one since Lilo & Stich I think. The voice cast is excellent (Zach Braff and Steve Zahn are hilarious) , even the annoying Joan Cusak is lovable as the ugly duckling, Abby. Not to mention bit players like Don Knotts' Mayor Turkey Lurky (maybe his last performance? have to check on that) and surprise appearences by Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard, Adam West and Patrick Warburton. But, above all else, Fish Out of Water steals the movie. Easily the best character brought to life since the aforementioned Stitch.


Daltry Calhoun

Props to Johnny Knoxville. He's managed to shake up his acting career, doing idiotic films like The Dukes of Hazard as well as little indy pictures like this and Grand Theft Parsons. Here he's easily the best thing in the movie. He plays loser-turned-millionaire-turned-loser Daltry Calhoun, who's just learned he has a 14 yr old daughter, one who's mother is dying. The movie stumbles in a few places, but where the script fails the cast usually saves the day. Juliette Lewis surprised the hell out of me, as did newcomer Sophie Traub. I wish Knoxville would stick to films like this that actually show off his acting chops, as opposed to the dumber-than-dirt films he winds up in. Yes I think Johnny Knoxville can act, laugh away.


Hoodwinked

Well, I didn't hate it as much as Tom did. Hell, I kind of liked it. But, it's got plenty of flaws. Two rather glaring ones: Anne Hathaway and Glenn Close. I like both of them, I do, but the suck, suck, suck-didly-uck as voice overs, so does Belushi. The CGI isn't great. It really isn't even good. But it's watchable. And the plot? Yeah I figured it out from the get-go. And I mean that as soon as the bad guy reared his cute little head, I figured the damn movie out. Yeah, yeah, how smart am I to have figured out a movie geared to five year olds? On the flip side, there's Patrick Warburton. He's the best. There's no arguing it, he is. Also, Xzbit does a good job, and David Ogden Stiers is great, but they're performances are too brief. The squirrel is funny as hell too. Not a bad movie, just not a great one.


The Assassination of Richard Nixon

Kind-of based on a true story. A man goes slightly mad and attempts to hijack a plane and fly it into the White House, killing Nixon. I hate a lot of actors. I know I do. And I hate Sean Penn. Mostly because I hate people who try to use they're celebrity to influence the way they're fans think. Can't I just enjoy you as an actor? Do I really have to turn on the news and see you acting like an ass. Even if you're a justified ass. So, yeah, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, all of you shut the hell up and just act dammit. If you want to be in politics, be in politics. The Terminator can do it, I'd bet you could too. So, anyway...This is easily the greatest performance Penn has ever given. He's able to do something so few people can here. He takes a man, a crazy man, and makes him sane. I want Sam to succeed. I want him to win back his ex, I want him to start his business and be profitable, but most of all I want him to fly that damn plane into the White House. Seriously. By the end of the movie i was hoping he would succeed. Crazy? Yes. That just how brilliant his acting is here. Yeah, the rest of the cast is good too, but Penn got robbed, this should've gotten him at least a nod, if not a win.


George Lucas in Love

When a handful of student filmmakers can take a small budget and produce a film better than the last three Star Wars fliks combined, and have it last under ten minutes, you know you're doing something wrong. I can see why this got all the buzz it did, it's friggin brilliant.


X-Men: Darktide

Ditto, except without the buzz. This came packed with some minimates at Target and it beats the pants off X3. Seriously.


Hollywood North

Hey, look, it's Matthew Modine. This is a mostly forgettable flik about Canada becoming the next Hollywood. A guy sets out to make a film out of a classic Canadian novel, but the investors want American actors, who in turn want to rewrite the script, making it unrecognizable. This might as well say "based on a true story" at the opening. Deborah Kara Unger is the single best part of the film. Well, unless you count Jennifer Tilly's breasts. I did, there's two of them, and they're great.


Doom

When the best part of your movie is the cgi-heavy scene where you duplicate a videogame, you're not doing so good. This movie both sucks and blows. If it sucked any harder it would be a fucking black hole. Do not watch it, I have saved you the trouble of wanting to gouge out your eyes with rusty nails. Seriously, there's not even any nudity to save the day.


Beyond the Sea

Lex Luthor re-enact the life of Bobby Darin, Lois Lane plays his wife. Decent flik, I'm just oh so tired of the biopics.


Domino

Kiera Knightly plays Domino, a woman for which things seem to just fall into place. Micky Rourke plays Cable, mysterious man from the future, out to save the world.Edgar Ramirez plays....Rictor? Sure, why not! It's the X-men spin0ff you just don't want to miss!

Kidding aside, good movie. Not Man on Fire, but good nonetheless.


I watched some TV shows too:

Tripping the Rift: Season One

Futurama it ain't, but it'll do until we get thos new episodes and movies. I could do without some of the more perverse humour the show inflicts, but I suffered through it because Darth Bobo is the greatest TV character since Bender.


Soap: Season Three

You could say this was the season they jumped the shark, but I like to think that happened in the very first episode. Burt Campbell is one of the greatest TV characters of all time. Seriously, I rank him right up there with Barney Fife. His stoooooopid, goofy antics never fail to get a laugh from me. The only thing missing from the season was, of course, Benson, who'd gotten his own show. But he does stop by for a few episodes. Only one season left to go. Oddly enough I've never seen a single episode of season 4. so nobody spoil it for me dammit! also, I've got a major crush on the actress that played Corrinne, Diana Canova.



Wings: Season 1&2

It irks the hell out of me that Tony shaloub is shown as being a main cast member. He didn't sign on until Season 3 I think, though he did make one guest spot on the show in Season 2. He's even mentioned on the back cover as Antonio the cab driver. Grrr. That aside, I love this show. It's hands down one of my all time favorite sitcoms. I hope they keep the sets coming, I'd really like to have all these episodes. It's just great, great television.


Tomorrow: comics.!

-L

Cable & Deadpool #28-29

Cable takes over a country. This feels like a rehash from previous storylines, specifically where Cable STARTS his own country. Next up is a Civil War tie-in. I find myself not caring at all. The book is still funny, which is primarily the reason I still buy it, but the plots are pretty stagnant. I did like the stuff with Domino though.


Civil War #1

Yeah, when I read Infinite Crisis #1 I was lost, not so much here. But, Crisis #1 at least felt important, this feels like wasted time.


Helios: In With the New #3

The team deals with the death of their mentor Jack, which hits Ashley the hardest. She abandons the compound the night before the team is sent on a mission to rescue some hostages. A misdsion the proves fatal to one member. But, in the wake of that fatality we found out not every "death" is final. Definitely the best issue of the series so far. Penny and Rand brilliantly pull the wool over your eyes, ending the story with a genuinely shocking surprise. Two actually. And Pena's art continues to get better, still making this the best superhero book out there.


Jeremiah Harm #3

Harm gets another accomplice and finally discovers the location of Dak Moira and Brune. Reading this makes me miss Trencher. Despite the fact that he's almost identical to all the other "bad-ass" characters out there (all of which are carbon copies of some other "bad-ass"), Harm has something most of them don't. He's fun. This weird mix of sci-fi, humor, action, and an ensemble cast just works. And Rael Lyra's art is just awesome.


Secret Six #1

The big build up is to the Mad Hatter? What the hell? Outside of that I pretty much enjoyed the issue. I've always been a villains person so it wasn't too hard to get into, add in Brad Walker's pencils and it made for an all around good read. Until the end. Sorry, but you lost me with the Hatter. He's a great character, but when your book is a build up to him, it's just a letdown. For me at least.


Shadowpact #1

I like Blue Devil. And the idea of that chimp in a series amused the hell out of me. But I just did not understand any of what the hell happened in this book.


Star Wars/Conan FCBD

Wow, I actually enjoyed both stories, the SW more than Conan oddly. Even more oddly, the art more than the actual story, for both. "The Spear" felt like just a lead in to a future Conan story, where as "Routine Valor" is much more of a one-off piece. One of my favorite FCBD books this year.

Star Wars: Legacy #0

Dammit, I thought this was going to be an actual story. Good thing it was only a quarter! Still, it's cool to see this future SW stuff, to see how good it can actually be outside of Lucas' hands. I might actually pick up the series.


X-Factor #7-8

More Civil War build up/tie-in stuff. David's juggling a bit too much with the series I think, not his fault I'm sure. There's so much going on in the MU right now and having to address them bogs the book down. The "what caused the decimation?" thing intrigues me though.


X-Men: Fairy Tales #1

I have no idea why I bought this. It's not bad, it's pretty good in fact. I just have no idea why I bought it, it's pretty pointless in the scheme of things. And it's such a bizaare idea.


X-Men/Runaways FCBD

Yeah, this is crap.


Y, the Last Man #45-46

Dr. Mann's girlfriend confesses to being a spy, she gets stabbed, Yorick and 355 find Ampersand and an army is on their way to Natalya's front door. Still slow-moving, stil enjoyable as hell.

-L

Welcome to Earth...

Third Rock From the Sun

I just finished up the first season of this wonderful show. The extras on the disc are pretty much so-so, but the episodes are so damn funny, who cares. John Lithgow gives such a great performance as Dick Solomon that it really is difficult for the rest of the cast to keep up, but they manage. The one thing I wish they'd have paid closer attention to the show's continuity, but it's really a small complaint. I was surprised to see future Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham in an episode, and man was she smokin'. It's also one of the funnies episodes in the set. I'm hoping to be able to find the rest of the released sets for a pretty decent price in the future, I really had forgotten how funny this show could be.

-L

Heavy Steam

Heavy Metal 2000

First, Heavy Metal didn't need a sequal. Second, this is hardly a sequal to Heavy Metal at all. Sure it has the sci-fi flavor, but one of the things that made the first film work was the multiple story format. No go here, just the one story, and it pretty much sucks. A warrior woman tracks down a crazy space pirate because he killed her people, and there's some ancient space mystery-thing they get involved in. Something about eternal life. Michael Ironside is decent as the baddie, Tyler, but Julie Strain is horrid as the heroine FAKK 2. Surprisingly Billy Idol steals the show with his voice over, not that it was incredibly hard to do. The animation is decent, but the story bogs everything down to the point where nothing can save it. Oh, and the music is pretty dull as well. All in all, a waste of time. Way to go Kevin Eastman!

Steamboy

Now this is quality animation. Set in the 1860's, it follows a yung boy named Ray as he discovers the secret invention his father and grandfather have been working on and the evil means it will be used to achieve. Almost a decade in the making, it's the most expensive Japanise animated film ever made ($20 mil), and it's directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). The animation is absolutely stunning and it might be the best American dub of an anime I've ever seen. Yes I watch it dubbed, no subtitles for me, thank you. There's really not much I can say about it, if you've seen Akira you know what to expect from an Otomo film, and if you haven't, well, you've got yourself an instant film festival right there. Oh, and that's Anna Paquin as the voice of Ray, who was amazing, I had no idea until the credits, add in Patrick Stewart and Alfred Molina, and you just can't miss. It's been awhile since I watched a traditionally animated film that was enjoyable, and this one ranks with the best of all time.

-L

Hexes, Virgins and a Bong(o)

Jonah Hex #7-8

#7 Sees Hex chasing a killer into a town full of more killers. When they kill his bounty and refuse to give him back a valued rifle he proceeds to kill every damn one of 'em. #8 has him taking a bountythat turns out to be bogus. When the scam's up he leave's the coward to his deserving fate.

Both very solid entries into what has been an on-again/off-again series. The Clint-inspired look still bothers the piss out of me but otherwise I enjoyed both of these stories. It's nice to have a book on the reading list that is just out and out story. No worries about continuity of character development. If Hex has proven anything it's that the more consistent a character he is, the better off the stories are.Ther art in issue * suffers a bit, with two fill in artists for one story, after Luke Ross' departure in issue #7, but hopefully that is a temporary problem. We'll see with the coming issues though. I'm definitely curious as to Marvel's recent Western offerings, seeing as I've mostly enjoyed this series, but nothing has looked enticing enough to get me to bite.

American Virgin #3-4

The conclusion of the first arc, Head, sees Adam going to Swaziland to confront his girlfriends killers and discovering she wasn't as pure and honest as she'd led him to believe. Still on the fence about this one. I'm definitely enjoying the story, I just can't imagine it continuing to be enjoyable. Where Y the Last man has its various mysteries to carry it when it drags, AV really only has the characters to fall back on. But, if anyone can continue to develop a book like this it's Steven Seagle. During its rather farfetched moments it's definitely the characters that keep you reading. Adam's crisis of faith, despite being take to such an extreme, is so relatable that as you keep reading you find yourself asking the same questions. Do you kill the men that destroyed your life? Even when you find out that that life (or at least a major part of it) is a lie? Cloonan's art is great, getting better with every issue I think. Due in part to Jimm Rugg's excellent inking I think, something I don't mention enough. But, Rugg deserves it, his work here is out ant out excellent. I'll likely be buying the next arc, I'm curious as to where it's going, I just hope I won't be disappointed.

Bongo Comics Free-For-All

An FCBD offering, yeah I'm a little late with the review, sue me. I know I'll be getting lynched, but I've never read any of the Bongo comics line. I've even got the first Futurama trade and haven't really gotten into it, though I've tried a few times I think. So, consider this my first real exposure. There are some great parodies here, but overall I just didn't love it. The Archie Dissassembled joke was pretty damn funny though. But, hey, it was free so I really can't complain too much. I'm sick of the friggin comic book guy though.

-L

Daniel Way+Steve Dillon (and Tex)=Wolverine is actually an interesting character

I've been hooked on Daniel Way since his short lived Venom series a few years ago. As much as I loved his Venom (and everything else since), his Wolverine tops it all.

Wolverine: Origins and Endings HC

Setting up his new "ongoing" series, Way also ties up some loose ends from the Winter Soldier storyline in Cap. A storyline I had completely spoiled for me. Well, to be honest I hadn't planned on reading it anyway. So, apparently Bucky is back from the dead. I guess that just leaves Gwen Stacy. Anyway, Wolverine knows who he is now, Bucky's still alive, the Marvel Universe as we knew it is no more. I think Mike might be closer to the truth than even he thinks. But, it's a great story, regardless of whether or not it will all be negated in a few months.

It doesn't begin to touch on what BWS accomplished with his Weapon X story, but you can really see that Way is only skimming the surface of things, he clearly has some major events in store. The art by Javier Saltares and Mark Texiera kicks uber ass. It's nice to see a writer that can handle Logan the way he deserves, and even with parts of the mystery already unfolded there's plenty of secrets left to uncover.

Wolverine: Origins #1-3

Like here for example. The fact that Way not only is tackling maybe the toughest character in mainstream comics (and succeeding), but he's showing us just how bad a guy Wolvie used to be just blows my mind. Here we find out that Logan was a pivitol part of Nuke's origin, killing (well, kind of) his father and babysitter after having him practically brainwashed into killing his own mother. Not such a great guy, eh? Add in Steve Dillon on art and it's like a new golden age for the clawed one. I'm absolutely enthralled with what Way is doing with the character and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

-L

A History of Violence

Sorry, no witty titles today.

I watched this a few days ago, and unlike most movies I've seen recently (coughX3cough) it managed to really stay with me. Probably because it's a good movie.. (coughX3cough). Heh.

I've never been the biggest Cronenberg fan, in fact I'm certain this is the only film I own that he's made. But, I'm not a newcomer to his style of filmmaking. After reading the graphic novel (which I reviewed here) I was pretty certain he'd be able to do justice to the story and definitely make it more visually appealing (nothing against Vince Locke, his art just looked kind of sloppy and rushed in the novel). I was right, but I definitely didn't expect the changes that were made in the script.

While it disappointed me I couldn't really find any fault with them. In fact with the exception of the "wrapped up too neatly" ending I couldn't find fault with anything in the film. Hurt rightly deserved his supporting actor nod (and definitely deserved the win) and I honestly can't believe it wasn't at least nominated for best picture. Viggo Mortensen is wonderful as Tom, bringing subtle nuances, like the flashes of enjoyment during his moments of violence, that you can't really get on an illustrated page. You really can see the beast that's been dormant in this guy for so many years. Peter MacNeill give an excellent, overlooked performance as the town sheriff and Maria Bello is just beautifully tragic. When she discovers Tom's true identity, the flood of emotions that she exhibits is just astounding. And Ed Harris just kicks ass.

I love that Cronenberg didn't try to make Richie and his boys out to be these type of superhuman hitmen, from the get go you realize Tom is definitely the smartest man in the room. Of course as he's walking into Richie's house you also know that he's going to be the only one walking out, but I got the feeling that it's more or less an intentional feeling. It's not really about settling the past it's about trying to save the future, his future with his family, no matter what it costs.

As I said, the ending seemed a bit too "look, he got his life back" for me, I'd have preferred leaving it more or less open to interpretation. But really outside of that it's a brilliant film. However, the DVD leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps we'll see a Criterion release in the future (I can only hope) a la Videodrome. If any movie in the last year needs it, A History of Violence is it.

-L

Tim Hildebrandt

R.I.P.

-L

Tag the Tyger

Tag #i

If (God forbid) Boom! Studios went out of business tomorrow they'd probably be best remembered for their off-beat zombie tales. In their short history they've probably published more on that subject than any other publisher in the last ten years, and very few of those stories have been disappointing (well, the ones I've read...), and Tag is no exception.

Written by Keith Giffen and drawn by Kody Chamberlain (unheard of by me until now), it's the story of a guy named Mitch, who's sure his girl wants to break up with him, and in the middle of a date no less. As they stand on a street corner arguing a man "tags" Mitch. When he wakes up from the bizaare incident he discovers he's got no pulse, isn't breathing, and his flesh is decomposing. With no place to go he crashes at his girlfriend's, hoping to discover exactly what is happening to him, through the internet (and its two most popular "tools" at the moment, Google and blogging).

Giffen delivers a solid story, something you can pretty much bank on, but Chamberlain's art took a bit of getting used to. It's not bad, just not all that impressive, like looking at a movie story board, just in color and more refined. Hopefully that's something that will improve as the story continues, but it's passable as it is. Giffen's unique story keeps your eyes on the page, the way he's able to weave a scientific mystery with the tragic/hilarious situation these two people find themselves in. The fact that Mitch and Izumi refuse to believe what's happening, even as they slowly come to accept it draws you in with them. It's a unique idea in a genre that's been done to death, which seems to be Boom!'s calling card. Definitely looking forward to this series.


The Punisher: The Tyger

Ennis and the Punisher, two great tastes that taste great together, usually... Yeah, there have been some misses, but when it's right it's never been better. Unfortunately The Tyger walks the line between the two. Ennis already gave us the "origin" of The Punisher in Born, a look at Vietnam and what it did to the mind of Frank Castle, but here we learn it started even sooner than that.

It's probably the most personal story Ennis has ever told with the character, and telling it in first person adds a ton of humanity to a character he's written pretty coldly over the last several years. That humanity is also what drags the story down unfortunately. I'm not sure why but Frank doesn't really work in that way, you find yourself drawing away from him as he comes closer to being human. For some reason it's that cold, calculating killing machine that you can identify with. Turn him into a child and you lose that relatability. Very odd. John Severin's art is okay, seems to be an aping of Frank Quitley's style a bit too much for my taste, but he tells the story well enough.

A look into the childhood of Frank Castle isn't the worst idea, and it's a well told, decently illustrated story, it's just not a part of his past that we really needed to see. Really, how much crap can you pile on this guy? It's amazing he wasn't killing people at ten years old.

-L

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Geez, a whole month without a single post? Man I've dropped the ball on everything.

So, just what the hell have I been doing?

Well, if you've been reading the blog for any length of time (well, except for the last month I guess) then you know I am currently working two jobs and only have one off day a week, Sundays, which I spend with my girlfriend and family.

But, I'm redidicating myself to writing, since I haven't actually done any in quite awhile I may be a bit rusty. But I'm going to at least try and get in ten minutes a day on the ol' blog. I've got a ton of reviews to catch up on, a few of them I'll have to re-read I think. So you can expect one or two a day at least. I've also got more stuff to read than I'll ever have time for. And don't get me started on the friggin' movies.

For the curious: Yes, I did see X3, no I wasn't impressed.

And no I'm not gonna go back and do a months worth of DVD lists. So, you're all safe. I won't even bore you with this week's.

I will say Coach Season 1 came out, which I bought for my Dad for Father's Day. I do hope they continue the releases because it's one of the rare shows that continued to be funny even after it "jumped the shark".

Also, to anyone it Pittsburg: No helmet law for motorcycles? What the hell is wrong with you people? I know it wasn't Big Ben's fault, but it should still be a law.

So, expect a few reviews later tonight, including one of Keith Giffen's latest from Boom! Studios, Tag.

Peace.

-L

Two Lists in One!

Since I never got around to doing it last week, here's two weeks worth of da DVDs!

Last week:

3rd Rock From The Sun - Season 4

I just bought Season 1 for about $15, good deal. I think the show lost some steam after about Season 3 or 4, the concept was just tired by then, but the acting was still pretty sharp.

Dinosaurs - The Complete First and Second Seasons

I remember liking this, but I doubt it holds up. I'll Netflix it eventually.

The Family Stone (Widescreen Edition)

Despite my absolute hatred for Matthew Broderick's wife, I do want to see this.

Hoodwinked (Widescreen Edition)

Want to see this too.

I Love Lucy - The Complete Sixth Season

Also available in a complete series set. I hate this show.

Kate & Allie - Season One

And this one too!

King of the Hill - Complete Season 6

Might be the last season for the show this year, I hope not though. They do need to get away from these double sided discs for the DVDs, they suck.

Last Holiday (Widescreen Edition)

I'll pass on this one too, though the Queen can be funny at times.

Leave It to Beaver - The Complete Second Season

I've only ever seen two episodes of this show I think. Kinda sad.

The Nanny - The Complete Second Season

Apparently they released a ton of shows I hate last week.

A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Never seen it, also a shame.

Tales from the Crypt - Ritual

Can't possibly be as bad as Bordello of Blood.


This Week:

The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Sixth Season

Well, this week is looking up.

Big Momma's House 2

His next movie will be Black Knight 2, you can almost bet on it.

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Season 1

Ah, the glory of Squigglevision!

Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete Sixth Season

I just don't get the appeal, like King of Queens.

The Facts of Life - The Complete First & Second Seasons

Oh dear God, who wanted this on DVD?

The Golden Girls - The Complete Fifth Season

This, on the other hand, is a damn funny show.

Grandma's Boy (Unrated Edition)

I'd like to see how awful it is.

Life Goes On - The Complete First Season

Never watched this, might have to Netflix it.

Munich (2-Disc Limited Edition)

Hopefully this makes up for the shit fest that was War of the Worlds.

Nanny McPhee (Widescreen Edition)

Got some good reviews, but not sure if it's up my alley.

Northern Exposure: The Complete First and Second Seasons

This is the way it should have been done to begin with.

Rescue Me - The Complete Second Season

Season 3 starts in a few weeks, but I still haven't gotten to see Season 1.

Ronin (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

YES!

Rumor Has It... (Widescreen Edition)

Man, how far has Rob Reiner sunk?

Scrubs - The Complete Third Season

Easily the best release of the week.

That '70s Show - Season 4

But this is up there. I just cannot get enough of this show.

The Towering Inferno (Special Edition)

Pass.

The West Wing - The Complete Sixth Season

Another show I just can't get into.

And there ya go, two weeks worth of DVDs!

-L

Oh My Dear God, Reviews

Because I really need to get these off my plate, and time just hasn't been on my side, I decided to stay up a little later and get these done. The stack isn't getting any smaller. I think Alan and Chris over at the Galaxy probably hate me as well as I haven't sent them anything in the way of reviews either. I'm off tomorrow night though, and with no plans (girlfriends sick unfortunately...well for her and me, fortunate for you all) I'll have some time to write a few things, hopefully.

All-Star Superman #3

Holy freaking cow. Grant Morrison, I love you. I can probably count on one hand the number of Supes comics I've enjoyed in the last five years. Well, ones that weren't some sort of alternate reality type story. But, inside of six months Morrison and Quitely have delivered three issues of excellent Big Blue. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I've never read many (if any) of the "wacky" Supes stuff, but I can't imagine it being as fun as these last three issues.The writing, maybe, but nobody can draw like Quitely. Clark and Lois sharing a kiss on the moon? It might be the most romantic thing I've ever seen in a comic, and it kicks ass at the same time. And two pages before that we have Superman besting two strongmen in an arm wrestling contest (ending in one very sick and literally twisted picture.) The whole book is just beautiful, wacky, exciting story. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.

American Virgin #1-2

Speaking of good ol' Frank...the cover to the second issue wasn't really that great, but damn did his cover to #1 draw me in. As for the book? I'm not really sure what to think of it yet. Becky Cloonan's art is fantastic, even better, I think, than her work on Demo. As someone who grew up in and around the people and situations Adam finds himself in when the book opens, it makes it difficult to read without feeling a bit uncomfortable. Not ashamed or embarassed, just weirded out. Seagle nails the characters, as stereotypical as they turn out to be (they are called stereotypes for a reason), and not in that farcical way either (think Saved!), it's all very real. Then the guy's girlfriend get's beheaded on live television while he watches. Issue 2 has him vowing revenge and going to South Africa to identify the body. I'm definitely in for the next issue, probably for the rest of the first storyline, but I still haven't made up my mind about it.

American Way #1

A guy is hired by the government to help promote the nations superpowered people, turns out most of their fights are staged. Eh, not exactly a new concept, I do like that we see it from an outside perspective, but it just didn't prove interesting enough for me to keep up with.

Archenemies #1

Issue 2 came out this week, haven't read it yet, but I really enjoyed this issue. It's mostly set up; two roommates, ones sloppy, ones neat, turns out the sloppy one is a hero and the neat one his arcnemesis. There's some pretty funny (if obvious) jokes and it's well drawn. All in all a decent read, good for a laugh.

Blue Beetle #1

Hey, this won't piss off all those "sudden" Beetle fans...heh. Decent set up, but I didn't follow Infinite Crisis or any of the crap around it so I felt a little lost. I thought it was funny that this was the Blue Beetle that those clamoring fans got, though I doubt he'll last half as long as Kyle Rayner did.

Cale & Deadpool #26-27

Eh, not much to say about these. The whole Cable/Apocalypse thing confuses even me, someone who know Cable weird ass origin (and all the inconsistincies, one of which I found here) backwards and forwards (HA! Yeah, I know no one gets that but me. Trust me it's funny). So Poccy is coming back again, which negates the Twelve storyline I suffered through (and which ultimately led to me dropping all the X-Books I was reading), thanks a lot Marvel!

Fallen Angel #3

Blah, hate the art, it's the last issue I bought, not buying anymore. I do want to go read all the back issues though.

Full Cirkle #1

Hey, cool Simon Bisley art...and that's about it. Weird ass story about some clan of barbarians who dress like animals...or something like that. I don't really know. The art kicks ass though.

Grounded #5

I'm lost. The school was taken over by some villain(s?) and the kids lost their powers, then got them back, and now they're taking it back while they're superhero parents wait outside. The art is too muddy and hard to follow and it still feels like somehow plot points are getting lost, but I've stuck with it this long, me and my need to complete a set...

Jeremiah Harm #2

Giffen and Grant make a hell of a team, everyone knows that, and Lyra's art is wonderful. The plot feels like something Giffen may have wanted to use for his recent Marvel works (like the cancelled Thanos boook, even like his recent Drax mini) but didn't really get too. It also has a Lobo-esque feel, which comes as no real surprise. Still, it's a good story, well drawn, and it's wall-to-wall ass kicking. Can't ask for much more than that from these two.

Jonah Hex #6

Aww, no New Years story four months too late? Didn't like the Eastwood-looking cover either. But, the story might be the best of the lot so far. Jonah comes to a small town that turns out the be run by a crazy Wanted nun who tries to burn him at the stake. Hell hath no fury like a Jonah scorned though. Blood, death and religion= a damn good western tale.

Justice #5

The Wonder Woman/Cheetah fight is pretty cool and Shazam showing up to save Superman's butt rocked. Too damn bad it's gonna take another year and a half to finish this story.

Hatter M #2

After reading Beddor's brilliant novel I really can't get ebough of this re-telling of the alice in Wonderland tale. Templesmith's art is a perfect compliment to the story. Of course, knowing how the story ends takes away from some of this side stories impact, but it's still proving to be highly enjoyable. Hatter Madigan is the coolest damn character to come along in ages. As goofy as that sounds, I just can't get over how friggin cool he is.

The Perhapanauts #4

And so ends this weeird ass story...wait, no it doesn't. Dammit, first they start a new story over half way through the miniseries, then they don't finish it? What kind of crazy marketing scheme is this? Still, I enjoyed it. Rousseau's art outshines Dezago's story, mostly because paranormal detective's aren't exactly a new thing, but I did like a few of the characters. Especiall Choopie (that Mexican goat-killer thing) and Big Foot. It just would have been nice to have a more fleshed out story instead of what ended up being four issues of hodgepodge storytelling.

Star Wars: The Return of Tag & Bink #1-2

Screw Lucas, Kevin Rubio knows how to write a Star Wars story. Recommended for anyone that is either a lifelong fan or a former fan disgusted by what the movies have become in the last fifteen years. I especially enjoyed the explination about Bobba Fett and the Sarlaac pit.

Star Wars: Bobba Fett- Overkill

Eh, this was a wast of even a one note (yet kick-ass) character like Fett. The cover looks great though.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #0/ Star Wars" Rebellion #0

Prequels for upcoming Star wars books. Wasn't worth the quarter I spent on them.

Superpatriot: War on Terror #3

Well, five years later (not really) and we're one issue closer to the end of this series. Right now I'm not even sure what was going on in the first two issues. I'm gonna have to sit down and read them all when #4 finally comes out...in December.

Tales of the TMNT #21

The Turtle team up with the Cowboys of Moo Mesa, a cartoon I actually never watched. It's a pretty cool concept and I totally dig the cover. And I like any kind of weord western stuff, so this was right up my alley. It's a bit heavy handed at the end and probably written to an audience that will never see it, but enjoyable regardless.

Warlord #1

I like Bruce Jones, usually. I like Bart Sears, usuall. But this was one of the most forgettable reads all year. The art feels sloppy and rushed, the plot is stale, it's everything you might expect from a book trying to capitalize on Conan's success and failing miserably. It sucks because seeing Warlord not too long ago on JLU had me excited for this. What a let down.

War of the Worlds: Second Wave #2

After a pretty good set up issue, Boom delivers a damn interesting follow up. It lacks the amazing visuals the recent movie remake had, but the focus on the characters and on the devastation of the world around them is far more interesting that Spielberg's flashy movie. Plus there's a preview of the upcoming Talent series. It's a bit Lost and a bit Unbreakable, looks promising.

Wildermere #1

This just creeped me out. I have no idea what it's about. Some kind of post-apocalyptic tale. The mutant things were just too damn creepy for me too keep reading.

X-Factor #5-6

Hey, Marvel, I did not know that Banshee was dead/going to die, so I appreciate you printing it loud and clear in the promos for the next three months of X-Factor. There's nothing I like more than people who spoil the frigging story for me. Thanks. Even more reason for me to wait for the damn trades. Still liking this series though, despite annoying little Layla Miller.

Y, the Last Man #44

Not a lot of development. Women are looking for Yorick, they find the Russian man child, Yorick's looking for his monkey, and his girlfriend, he finds a robot, Dr. Mann is looking for her Mom, she actually finds her and in the process may have gotten her spy/girlfriend killed. Hooray for the fucked up ending, Vaughan never disappoints there.

Zombie Tales: Death Valley #2

Might have been nice to read the first part, but this was still a pretty entertaining read. A bunch of kids try to make it out of Cali, which seems to have become infested with zombies. Good art, good story, and it's got some laughs as well.

Zombie Tales: The Dead

Another collection of zombie tales that are surprisingly fresh (pardon the pun). That Boom can keep putting these out and still manage to find creators that have new, fun ways to tell a story about a damn zombie amazes me. The best of the bunch are the Giffen penned tale about the time between being human and becoming a zombie, a sort of decent into madness I guess, and the story about the animals who defend themselves against a horde of zombies. Fun stuff.

Except for a small stack of graphic novels and trades that covers my reading material over the last few months. And yes, I know I forgot the list yesterday. I'll get to it tomorrow.

-L

I had a life. Now all I have is The List.

That's from Aeon Flux for those who didn't see it. By my count that should be all of you.

Aeon Flux (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition)

I'm dying to see just how bad it really is.

Aerobo Cop: Super Hero of Fitness

Well, at least it's well intentioned...and goofy as hell.

American Dad, Vol. 1

Debating on if I want to buy this. The first few episodes were very hit or miss but it picked up a lot towards the end.

Bogie & Bacall - The Signature Collection (The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, Key Largo, To Have and Have Not)

Good deal for some great movies.

Crumb (Widescreen Special Edition)

Haven't bought this yet, here's my chance.

Doctor Dolittle 3

Also available in a boxed set. None of them are really worth a damn.

Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (2-Disc Special Edition)

It has to be better than The Spirits Within.

Inspector Gadget: The Original Series

Law and Order: Trial by Jury - The Complete Series

A Law and Order show that didn't last 18 years? Holy cow!

Match Point

Might be the best film I've seen this year, don't pass it up.

Nero Wolfe - The Complete Classic Whodunit Series

Yay, a detective show!

Odyssey 5 - The Complete Series

Never heard of it, but it sounds interesting. Five people sent into the past to uncover a plot that will destroy the Earth. Cool.

The Patriot (2000) (Extended Cut)

There's nothing the world needed more.

Reba - Season 3

I stand corrected, THIS was what the world really needed.

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter

Includes the CD, might have to buy this.

The Replacement Killers (Widescreen Extended Cut)

Woo produced, Fuqua directed=good flik.

Serenity/The Chronicles of Riddick

Oh dear God, if ever two movies did not deserve to be boxed together it was these two.

Tristan and Isolde (Widescreen Edition)

Am I wrong for wanting to see this?

The Wedding Singer - Totally Awesome Edition

Dammit.

Windtalkers (Director's Cut)

I thought this was already out?

The Waltons - The Complete Third Season

Goodnight John Boy.

-L

In Lieu of Comic Reviews...

I give you the brilliance of Alan Moore-


"It’s like, ’Let’s make a movie out of a movie from the 1980s that got good reviews at the time. Let’s make it again. Let’s make a foreign film into a dumbed-down American remake. Let’s make good television series from the ‘60s into films, let’s make bad television series from the ‘60s into films.’ Comic books, video games, PIRATES OF THE-F-CKING-CARRIBEAN -- theme park rides! We will live to see Johnny Depp playing Cap’n Crunch. I would lay money on it. Breakfast cereal mascots are the next big thing. Get into Tony’s back story -- Tony the Tiger. What motivates him? Where did he come from? How did he become the big, ebullient, happy tiger that he is today? Where do we get our next star from? You could lay money behind that! I mean, what, Tommy Lee Jones for Tony? Somebody somewhere will think that this is a good idea. In fact, if you put this in the interview, I trademark the idea. Any breakfast cereal mascot films, I want my cut."

Seriously, that's wiser, funnier and infinitely more important than anything I have to say about some comics. Not to fret, I'll get to those reviews.

-L

The List, Ho!

An amusing title, considering that's not the way I inteded it to sound. Been working two jobs lately so time has been scarce. Doesn't look to be getting any more abundant either. So, here's the list.

Breakfast on Pluto

Definitely want to check this one out, anyone see it?

Doogie Howser, M.D.: Season Four

Screw Doogie, I needs me some How I Met Your Mother on DVD!

Event Horizon (Special Collector's Edition)

I can't decide if I like this movie or not. Parts of it are creepy as hell but others are dumb as shit.

Gatchaman, Vol. 6: Collection

Damn these are hitting fast.

Hostel (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Cabin Fever blew chunks, so I'll pass.

Moonstruck (Deluxe Edition)

Starring the slightly uglier, much less plastic Cher.

Mrs. Henderson Presents (Widescreen Edition)

Probably the release of the week. Judi Dench kicks ass!

Out of Sight (Collector's Edition)

FINALLY!

Remington Steele - Season 3

Better than the last Bond film!

The Sentinel - The Complete First Season

Coming soon to my Netflix queue!

Thundercats - Season Two, Vol. 1

I wish they'd taken a page from the He-Man DVD crew, these are just too friggin expensive.

I'll be back tomorrow with some actual reviews. Yeah, I don't really believe that either.

-L