Great Movie Moments 4

Before I began to despise Joel Schumacher (I've since forgiven him and Val Kilmer for the travesty they unleashed, but I boycotted them both for years...It's geeky, I know) I fell in love with one of his movies. And by in love, I mean in love. It's one of a handful of movies I have memorized. And by memorized, I mean memorized, from beginning to end, dialogue, scenes, everything.

St. Elmo's Fire

It's a sentimental film, mushy, a bit over the top at times I suppose, but it's also one of the first films I remember seeing and loving. While Jurassic Park may be resposible for my infatuation and overall love of movies, this one set me on the path.

The moment

The camera pans down past a Woody allen poster over a fireplace. Brat Packer Andrew McCarthey lies on his bed, sunglasses on, cigarette in hand, goofy hat on his head. Aretha Franklin's Respect begins to play, always recognizable by that guitar intro. He sits up and begins to sing along with the song and after her voice kicks in he plays along on a pair of bongo's.

"Oooh Oooh What you want, baby I got it..."

I don't know why exactly, but it's one of my favorite scenes ever, maybe because it captures perfectly the kind of ludacris things we do when we're alone. Maybe it's just the way he sings the song, off key, and a slightly behind in the tempo so that his voice seems to echo Aretha's. The movie as a whole remains one of my all-time favorite films, and this scene is forever etched into my mind, so much so that whenever I hear the song I begin to mimick his voice and movements (and his question too his roomate when he gets walked in on, "Quick, What's the meaning of life?")

I know what I'll be watching tonight.

-L

Rearranging Things

Added a few links to the sidebar (and to my daily routine), Captain Cory, Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog, and the wonderful Comics Reporter. I also added a bit of order to them and alphabetized em as well. I added links to my CBG reviews, so if you haven't read them please do, feedback is, of course, welcome.

If there's ablog or site that isn't up there that anyone thinks I should be reading, please, let me know.

-L

The Sequel That's Not a Sequel

Cinescape's got a review of Marvel's latest film, Elektra up. They give it a decent enough review, but that doesn't fill me with hope, rarely do they give anything poor reviews. I'll likely go see it Sunday, since the Falcons play Saturday night.

They've also got a review of X-23 #1, which also gets a favorable review. I may have to pick it up, as they're a lot harder on comics than movies. Anyone else read it?

-L

Collateral

Michael Mann has truly crafted one of the greatest movies of the past year. Brilliantly directed, written, and acted. My only complaint is that it relies to heavily on coincidence, but that's probably more a genral complaint about all movies (or most of them). The look of the film is amazing, very low-tech, which adds volume of atmosphere. The fact that I generally do not like Cruise or Foxx had me skipping this in theatres, too bad for me, as both prove they're quite the actors here. If you haven't seen it, do so, it's excellent.

-L

Finally, Some Comics

If I listen closely I can hear the sound of people rejoicing everywhere...

303 #2

Garth Ennis goodness with art by the wonderful Jacen Burrows. I won't pretend to know what exactly Ennis is getting at with the politics of the book, because I'm pretty ignorant on that sort of thing sadly. Still, it's a good read with fantastic art.

Supreme Power #14

This is next on my drop list. I'm having trouble remembering what happened last issue, a sure sign I'm not into the book as much as I used to be. It's still well written, and the art by Gary Frank is amazing, but the pace is entirely too slow, it's been over a year and very little is happening.

Team X 2000

I picked this one up out of a quarter bin awhile back. I'm a sucker for alternate reality type stories, and this one has Deathbird and Bishop travelling to a Shiar ruled Earth a few decades in their future. I was a bit confused by what exactly was happening when the book opened because I wasn't a reader of the X-Books during that time period, but other than that it was somewhat enjoyable. Sean Ruffner and A (Alan?) Smithee are the writers, and they do a good enough job with the material. I found it incredibly odd that Jubilee had aged and it seemed like no one else had, but that was really my only complaint with the writing. Kevin Lau is on pencils, and that was the worst part of the book. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the guy is that good, and the fact that he draws some of the characters without pupils is just creepy.

The Intimates #3

You know, there's not enough people getting behind this book. Three issues in and I think it's one of the most fantastic super-hero stories I've ever read. It's the best take on the super-team-teen's since Stan and Jack pretty much created the concept. My only complaint? The Jim Lee gets second billing. If you're not reading this, you should have your comic book buying license revoked permanently.

Plastic Man: On the Lam TPB

I tried and tried to write a review for CBG of this, but I couldn't. The most I can say is it's well written, and well drawn, but it did not hold my interest in the slightest. Maybe it's because I grew up on Marvel Comics and just don't get all the jokes, or maybe I just have a really crappy sense of humour, but I didn't love it the way most of the comics-blog-community seems to.

-L

What I missed

While perusing CBG yesterday, I managed to miss ADD's Epileptic review. Fortunately I found it this morning, and now it's there for you in all it's glory to go read. So go do it.

-L

HAHA, eat your heart out Johnny.

God, I suck as a nerd!

-L

Polish Links

One out of two ain't bad...

New Chris Allen Comments up at CBG insightful as always. Chris is one of my favorite reviewers, he should be one of yours too, check him out. This week he looks at the latest issue of Comic Book Artist, the Arkham asylum trade, a few What If...?'s and the Ultimates. Right on.

Speaking of CBG, ADD has posted his Nerd Score, figures he'd score so low! What's yours?

Comicscape talks more about Orson Scott Card and his upcoming stint as Marvel's Ultimate Iron Man writer. If I haven't pointed it out before, I'll do so now, Tony Whitt is one of the the best damn people writing about comics on the net. He does point out a pretty astounding fact, almost every person that wrote in is in agreement, when's the last time a bunch of fanboys agree on anything? Anhd for the record, I agree with what most of them are saying as well. A mans personal politics has very little to do with his writing ability, no matter how wrong you may think they are. I do think he's wrong, of course, and I won't buy the book, but that's me. If it sells, so be it, as long as he doesn't use it as a platform. There's also a rundown of this week's books.

Parent site, Cinescape has a few tidbits of interesting info as well, including info on X-Files 2.

Mike, Dorian, and Tom seem to be experiencing weird weather-related things. Good luck guys, be careful.

The JBS finishes up it's week-long tribute to Will Eisner. Nice stuff Johnny. He's also posted his Nerd Score, a whopping 11. I just know I'm gonna score in the 90's.

Via Permanent Damage:

"If you find the Rock charming (I generally do), he makes WALKING TALL fairly easy to take, and Johnny Knoxville is surprisingly entertaining as his ex-con sidekick"

This makes me feel like less of a fool. There's other, greater things in the new PD by Steven Grant, so check them out, won't you?

-L

Great Movie Moments 3

No other film is more responsible for my love of movies than Jurassic Park. I paid to see it seven times in theatres, and I'm pretty sure no other film holds that record with me. It blends so many elements into such a fantastic film; drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, action, mystery, family entertainement. For my money it's one of the most well-rounded movies ever made.

Not to say that it's one of the best. Looking at it now, as an adult, it has it's obvious flaws, and relies on a lot of hackneyed ideas to move the story along. But, as a kid I thought it was perfect. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen, and the fact that I payed seven times with my own money (which was hard to come by as a kid, I sometimes went without school lunch so I could afford to go see it) is a real testament to that.

(Side note, I have seen one movie more times in theatres, but that was as a teen, and I got in free. For those interested, it's Con Air, and it's something like 12 or 13 times. Keeping in mind that I didn't pay...)

Okay, so I'm sure you've all seen JP (and hopefully not its atrocious sequels) enough to know what moment I'm about to pick? Eh, everyone probably think it'll be the T-Rex, but no. I loved the T-Rex, but it's not him. The Raptors? Nope, not them either.

I've alway adored one particular scene that matters little to the overall plot, and after rewatching it recently (it sounds phenomenal in Dolby Digital 5.1 by the way!) I was still taken by it.

Doc Grant and Company are riding in two jeeps, after just having gotten on the island. The jeeps stop as his wife rambles on about a leaf; "this shouldn't be here, it doesn't exist, blah blah" Grant looks up, wearing those sunglasses, and the camera zooms closer and closer as he takes his hat off and stands up. He removes his sunglasses and his face tells it all. He looks like a kid on the best Christmas morning of his life. He reaches his hand down to his wife's head (she's still rambling) and abruptly turns it towards what he sees. She stand and the camera shows us what has caught their attention. A brachiosaur (Sp?) (I think...I might be wrong) They run out of the jeep and when they get closer Doc Grant stutters: "It's...It's a dinosaur."

Coupled with the score (which is one of my favorites ever), and not to forget the brilliant special effects, the moment still amazes me. And I'm only watching it on a 27 inch TV, no high Definition, or Plasma, just an old TV. On the big screen it was unreal.

I don't do it justice, in fact, I probably do it a disservice.

Sure, Ol' Steve has made better films, much better in fact. But I don't think any movie pulled me into film more than this one, and that moment, for me, was the hook, and I bit.

-L

Ghost in the List

The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan

Who really cares?

The Fifth Element (Ultimate Edition)

YAY!

Wait, I didn't really like this movie. It was better in the Heavy Metal film.

Ghost In The Shell (Widescreen Special Edition)

It looks nice. I want to see it.

Gilligan's Island: The Complete Second Season

This makes my Dad very happy.

King Solomon's Mines

The original. No, the real original.

The Land Before Time: Invasion of the Tinysauruses

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Not the Tinysauruses

Paparazzi

Wasn't quite the hit that Passion was, now was it?

The Professional (Widescreen Deluxe Edition)

Now this, I like.

The Village

No one will ever believe me, but I figured it out from the preview.

Without a Paddle

I want to hope it will be funny. But I can't.

On the purchasing side of things, picked up Anchorman and Darkman today.

Yay, time to laugh. But, at which movie?

-L

My Comic Book, and other crap

Well, not necessarily crap. Not all of it anyway.

Watched two DVD's today. One sucked.

Garden State was the first. I loved it, for the most part. The end was too sappy for me, and the beginning was a bit over my head, being one of the rare "never done drugs" people, at least around these parts. There's better reviews out there, so I won't bore anyone by even trying. It's a good movie, well worth your time.

The second was A Man Apart.

Avoid this at all costs. It's complete crap, and leaves me wandering about the upcoming F Gary Gray flik, Be Cool. He also directed The Italian Job, which sucked as well.

Read Invinceable Vol. 1 last night. I'll have a review in to CBG soon, I'll post it when it's up.

That's pretty much it.

Oh, yeah, my comic book. It's not really a comic book. Just a passing thought. I can't draw, and have doubts about my writing skills. But, if it ever happens, it'll be called Jesus Christ, Super-Hero.

You heard it here first folks.

-L

Great (GEEK) Movie Moments, Part Deaux

No, I promise it's not from Hot Shots, though that moment in the sequel where the Sheen's see each other and say "I loved you in Wall Street!" amidst an Apocalypse Now parody might qualify...but then again, maybe not...

Okay, so we all loved Hugh Jackman in X-Men as Wolverine, but any geek worth his weight (and believe me, that's a lot) knows Hugh's X2 performance was even greater.

No scene represented Wolverine better than the invasion of the X-Mansion. From his sniffing out the trouble while having a coke in the kitchen with Bobby, to cross-stabbing one of the invaders in the chest, to slamming his adamantium-laced claws into anothers foot, then ripping him to shreds (off screen), then there's the dive-bomb attack from the balcony and him charging Stryker's men:

"You wanna shoot me? Go ahead and shoot me!!"

I doubt there will ever be a better scene that represents Marvel's cash-cow than this, and the let Singer do it, which caught me, and a number of other movie goers (geeks all I'm sure) completely off guard. As far as geek moments go, it's absolutely one of the greatest.

The Cat, The Knight, and a Murder

Watched a few DVD's lately:

Garfield

Not a great film by any means. Odie isn't Odie, and John definitely isn't John, but Garfield is pretty much Garfield. It doesn't capture much of the comic strip's greatness, but it has a handful of funny moments, and isn't boring at least. It's a kids movie pure and simple, and if your young ones like "animal" fliks, they'll like this, doubtful that you'll find it hilarious, unless your taste in comedy is like that of a four year old.

King Arthur

Another film that isn't bad, but it's not fantastic. Worth watching, if only for Ms. Knightly. It's interesting how they twisted the legend to feel more realistic. The end is far too obvious, but other than that it's a pretty good take on the story. Did I mention Kiera Knightly?

Kiera Knightly.

5 Days To Midnight

A bit predictable in places, but it's an otherwise great mini-series. Randy Quaid was surprisingly good, despite the end, and funny enough the dumbest part of the entire show was the "briefcase sent back in time" aspect. Once it's over and done with it's a truly captivating watch, that pretty much keeps you guessing. There are obvious snafu's with the time travel story, and as a result there's a few plotholes, but nothing too serious. No worse than an episode of Quantum Leap or that show where the guy got tomorrows paper.

-L

Great Movie Moments, Part 1

Seeing as how I'm diving thru my DVD collection looking for killer sound to test my Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound System (I did mention that I have one, didn't I? Heh) I've decided to name some of my all time favorite movie moments. Probably just one at a time, as I see them or as they occur to me.

First up, Once Upon a Time in the West

The moment? Three bandits sit waiting at a small train station, for what we don't know. They've run off the old man who runs the station without ever making a sound. Finally a train pulls in and the three step up to see if what they've been waiting for is on it. After a few seconds, they start to stroll away discouraged when a slightly off-key harmonica begins to blow in the wind.

The three men turn as the train pulls away, and standing behind it is Charlie Bronson, bag in one hand, harmonica in the other.

"You Frank?" he asks.

"Frank sent us," thier leader answers.

"Did you bring a horse for me?" Chuck asks.

One of the bandits laughs, looks at the three horses they rode in on and says:

"Looks like we're shy one horse."

Good ol' Charlie disagrees with a shake of his head and says:

"You brought two too many."

This upsets the three men, they reach for their guns, but before the first can even get a shot off, Chuck has dropped his bag and fired on all three of them. Before the last dies he gets a shot off at Charlie, and they both fall to the ground. A nearby windmill squeals as Chuck opens his eyes, then holsters his now wounded arm. Het plops his hat on his head, grabs his bag and walks away.

Five sentences folks. Five. It's a scene that lasts probably around ten minutes, maybe less if you don't include the opening (which had a bit more dialogue) Everything you need is in the sound and the visual, with very little dialogue. This is why Sergio Leone was a master filmmaker.

New stuff up at everydaysketch, I'm partial to Ghost Dog myself. Check it out.

-L

Testing!

Okay, so for Christmas I got a surround sound system that plays in Dolby Digital 5.1 as long as I've got and optical hook-up. So, I got an optical chord for my DVD player. Much like high-speed internet, it seems Dolby Digital is something you can never give up. I'm now addicted to my sound system. So far Hulk, Spider-Man 2, Jurrasic Park and Underworld have amazed me with the quality and use of sound. I've got too many DVD's to even begin to think of what I should try next, so any suggestions?

EDIT: Add X2 and Episode I to that list as well!

-L

Truly Disturbing

There's a few things I found that frightened the hell out of me this morning, in no particular order:

Dorian has posted the apparent poster for the V for Vendetta film. God I hope it's not that.

His pal Corey has posted the most disturbing Superman cover ever. I think I have that issue somewhere.

And finally, two phrases people searched for that led them here:

amy's first time having sex from sonic the hedgehog
robin's nudity (teen titans)

Not sure how you made it here, but whoever you are, please stay the hell away from me!

heh

-L

Surfing Safari

Occasionally I get bored and just start hitting the "Next Blog" button on the top of the page just too see where it takes me. Usually nowhere interesting. Not today though, today I found new blogger Eugene Smith and his everydaysketch blog. It's good stuff, and for those who need comic related material, he's got sketches of Bats and a few of his Rogue's Gallery. Far more intriguing though is his Tom Waits sketch and the picture post titled Heady. Keep up the good work Mr. Smith, and welcome to the blogosphere.

(Side note: Tom, you know, the Dog...yeah, he thinks blogosphere is a lame term, I'm starting to agree. So, Tom, get cracking on that New Years resolution!)

-L

R.I.P.

By way of IMDB, a pictoral of the Hollywood greats we lost in 2004.

-L

News of the Century

Not really; via Cinescape, who else?

"Yesterday news slipped out via The New York Times that Frank Miller, the legendary comic book writer of BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and artist of WOLVERINE, would be writing ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, one of three new comic book series that DC Comics would be launching this year. The high-profile scoop must have convinced someone working at DC that the worst-kept secret in comics needed an official stamp, and so today the company finally confirmed the All-Star brand line is a'coming. "

I like Miller, but his DK2 has to be one of the worst Batman stories ever (looking at the CBG blog, it seems ADD agrees), and I couldn't stomach Lee's run past the second issue. I am still looking forward to Morrison and Quitley's Supes book tho. Gotta love the snide remark about needing an official stamp as well.

Also, via them:

"Canadian-born actress Emmanuelle Vaugier has been cast as PAINKILLER JANE in the Sci Fi Channel pilot. Perhaps best known to genre fans for her role as Dr. Helen Bryce in SMALLVILLE, Vaugier will play a Marine officer that develops healing powers after being exposed to a bioweapon. The two-hour pilot is based on the Event Comics series of the same name. "

Not exactly sure I care about that, but it is comic-related, and the book wasn't horrible, at least the issues I read. Funny how Joe Q and Palmiotti had planned to go back to EVENT after the Marvel Knights deal was up. Long live Ash!!!

And finally:

"Warner Bros. has announced that Natalie Portman (STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH) will star in V FOR VENDETTA, the movie adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's distrubing, futuristic comic book mini-series. The Wachowski brothers, writers/directors of THE MATRIX trilogy, will serve as producers on the film along with Joel Silver. James McTeigue, the first assistant director for the Wachowskis on the MATRIX films, will make his directorial debut with V FOR VENDETTA"

At least this time they're not stealing the story outright. File this with LXG and various other great comics to get butchered via Hollywood. See how hopeful I am?

Oh, and big thanks to ADD for helping me get rid of Eternal Sunshine, looks like you folks'll have to wait for a Ded Giveaway, I'm gettin me some comic books!!! (Well, some comics I don't have already...)

-L

Linkage Maximus

Roll Out!!!

Tony Whitt (and a few others) discusses the Orson Scott Card issue over at Comicscape. As always, insightful stuff. I'm of two minds on the subject, a man's personal views (as long as they aren't psychotic) should not be taken into acount when he gets hired for a job. If he can write good sci-fi, so be it. But, I also think if you go around throwing your opinions about like you are the be-all-end-all on the subject, then you leave yourself open for scrutiny from open minded folks, and in turn it portrays Marvel in a ore negative light than they already are, so I'd think they would reconsider hiring you. But, this is Marvel we're talking about, we all know how they view the gay community just look at Dorian's (you may have to scroll down a bit, apologies) recent post about a Howard the Duck issue featuring a gay man, or how about they're Rawhide Kid mini from a few years ago. Oh, Mr. Whitt also has a rundown of the week in comics too.

Speaking of Dorian...that's one of the funniest things I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

His better half, at least in the blogosphere, Mike just announced the winners of the Swamp Thing: Bad Seed TPB giveaway. Go see if you won, I didn't. I'm almost positive it was rigged!!! Wait, I didn't enter, never mind.

Their dog, Tom has a look at PS238 and a few "Best of" lists if you scroll for a bit, including one about his own blog.

JB, over at the Bacardi Show has posted one of his favorite Spirit illustrations. good stuff, it also serves as the cover to the Spirit Casebook I believe. Scrolling there will get you a look at some upcoming TV shows, and another set of "Best of" lists.

Fred Hembeck talks about Will Eisner. Great stuff.

New Permanent Damage up. More Eisner related stuff, and probably the best damn title ever: A Schematic of The End Times.

And finally,

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly has a look at the years worst films. Remeber what I said about Little Black Book? Yeah, I was being kind...

-L

God, The Devil, and the List

Here's what landed on DVD shelves this week:

CSI: Miami - The Complete Second Season

Side note here: It seems the turnaround on TV-to-DVD is becoming uber-swift. Not sure how that effects the extra material, hopefully it doesn't, but it's nice to know you never have to wait that long.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Collector's Edition)

Dammit. I'm gonna start giving away old DVD's as some sort of prize, cuz every time I buy something a Special Edition hits stands inside of a few months.

Fraggle Rock: Dance Your Cares Away

This made me smile.

God, The Devil & Bob: The Complete Series

Hard to believe the obscure things that get put out on DVD isn't it? Good show, glad to see it's still got fans.

Las Vegas: Season One - Uncut and Uncensored

See. Fast turnaround.

Little Black Book

If you like this movie and you read this blog, do me a favor...don't come back.

Millennium: The Complete Second Season

More from the land of cult TV obscurity.

Troy

Maybe it's not just TV, didn't this just come out? Or am I thinking of another film?

Lots more coming up, stay tuned!

-L

Via Cinescape.com:


"One of the legends of the comics world has passed on. Will Eisner, creator of THE SPIRIT, died on Monday evening from complications arising from his quadruple heart bypass surgery conducted the month before. He was 87.
Throughout his career Eisner pushed the field of comics to their envelope, paving new ground for every comic creator that followed. In 1942 he was drafted into the Army where he drew numerous comic strips and posters for the service, raising the morale of troops. In later years he would resume this endeavor by creating more strips for corporations to use in educational matters. In 1978 what many comic professionals feel was the first long-form comic story, the so-called "graphic novel", was created by Eisner. Unlike the many superheroes stories that dominated the monthly comic book rack, Eisner's A CONTRACT WITH GOD was drawn from his experiences living in New York's Bronx during the '30s and showed many that comics could tackle any genre of storytelling.
The comics community saluted Eisner by naming the Comic-Con International awards after the writer/artist. Held every year at the annual event in San Diego, the Eisners are to comics what the Oscars are to film.
A posting at Eisner's official website states that more information will be posted in the days to come."

This is truly one of the saddest days ever in the world of comics. I'll be picking up something Eisner related tomorrow I think, I don't own Contract With God, maybe I'll get that.

Also, even though I've been silent for the last few days, I'm going to declare a "blog of silence" if you will, until tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

-L

No Time For Lists Dr. Jones

60 hrs. in 6 days. That's what it will amount to by Saturday night. So, I'm pretty much phsically and mentally exhausted right now. I'd planned on doing a year end retrospective, but that doesn't look likely at all. So, until next year, bon voyage!

Oh, and happy New Year...

-L

The After Christmas List

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

May not be worth the buy, but it's worth the rent. Ferrel is nowhere near as good as he was in Elf, but the supporting cast and cameos make up for it.

Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries

For all you Sci-Fi geeks out there.

Darkman III: Die Darkman Die

The worst movie title ever.

King Of The Hill: The Complete Third Season

Woooohoooo!

Open Water

Looks too much like "the Blair Witch in the ocean" to be of any interest, but I may rent it eventually.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse

I wanted to see this in theatres but never got around to it. Loved the first, so I'm hoping this one's worth the wait.

Tour Of Duty: The Complete Second Season

For those who like alittle war in their TV

Wicker Park

Did this even make it to theatres? Not around here I guess. What happened to Josh Hartnett? Wasn't he on everyone's hot list? Maybe it was that Harrison Ford movie he did? He just peeked there I suppose...

Wimbledon

I'll bet money the only enjoyable thing about this movie is Paul Bettany.

On the "watching" side of things, I saw Dodgeball today. Not as funny as everyone says, but it was a good movie with a few genuine laughs. The cast was good, and it achieves its goal. I'd like to see Vaughn go back to making more serious films, but that probably won't happen. I was surprised to see that Will Ferrell didn't pop up in the flik anywhere, but the cameos by David Hasselhoff, The Shat, and Chuck Norris are pretty funny, and Jason Bateman is great.

In the comics world, looks like JMS will be taking over the writing chores on the Fantastic Four for Marvel. Guess that means we'll find out there's some incest in Sue and Johnny's past? I'm glad I dropped the book when I did. Farewell Waid and 'Ringo, guess it'll be a while before I get back into the FF!

-L

Humbug to the New Year

Looks like I'll be posting almost nothing this week, I'm scheduled to work 50 hours at least, maybe more. My wallet is thanking me, but my brain is hurting just thinking about it.

I did read X-Force #5. God that sucked. Not just regular Liefeld suckage either. Beyond that. Waaaaay beyond that. It might be the worst book I've read all year. Don't buy it. I seriously hope I'm the only person who has been.

Outside of that, no comics.

I did watch The Hebrew Hammer. Loved it. Everyone should see it. It's wonderful, I laughed alot. That's about all I have time for...

I'll try and get a post in tomorrow, at least the DVD listing.

-L

Merry Post-Christmas

I had hoped to get a post or two in before and on Christmas, but obviosly that didn't happen. I hope everyone out there had a good holiday and got some rest and relaxation, and if not, I hope you got some good swag.

I walked away with the Megatron from the Transformers: Energon line, Tidal Wave from the Armada line, Smokescreen from the Alternators line, and the Generation One Devastator set, minus one bot, Hook. That kind of irked me because the person who bought it had no idea that the set was six robots and not five, so she got kind of ripped off. My Mom couldn't get me much, but she put together a great photo album for me, which was pretty nice. I got one movie, the Shawshank Redemption Special Edition, which was great, cuz it's the GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE and all.

I also got a surround sound system, a good one, it almost blows me out of my room. Wait, I did get a pair of used DVD's too, the new Harry Potter and Ginger Snaps 2. I got a watch and and a Mythological Encyclopedia, as well as the comics I ordered from Mike awhile back. Muchos Gracias for him getting them to me before the holiday, you rock Mike!

My brother bought me a Crow lithograph which was pretty amazing, it's got an image of Brandon Lee surrounded by three beautiful women. Not sure who the women are, but hey, they're hot, even if the are drawings!

I walked away with a zero in the clothes department, unless you count socks, and that was only one pair. For me that's a good thing, I hate people buying me clothes.

I am eventually going to have a post about comics, hopefully tomorrow, and I've put off reviewing lately, so I've got to get back in that habit as well.

-L

Not what I had in mind...

But, since I didn't make it over to the comic shop, here's a look at Comicscape's readers Best of 2004:

10. DAREDEVIL

I quit reading this book awhile back. I've been meaning to keep up with it via trades, but found that it was more or less "out of sight, out of mind." Good for you who are enjoying it though.

9. AVENGERS

Whatever. There's no way this was in the years Top 10. Of course, I could be wrong, I didn't read it, so maybe I shouldn't judge it. But, like another book that pops up down the list, this just reeked of publicity stunt, and I was having no part of it.

8. FLASH

Don't read it. Johns keeps getting notoriety for his DC work, maybe it's deserved, but i know at least one person who would disagree.

7. FANTASTIC FOUR

Finally, something I can agree with. waid and 'Ringo did more for the Fab 4 than probably anyone ever has, outside of Lee & Kirby that is. The Hereafter arc alone ranks among my all time favorite superhero stories.

6. AVENGERS/JLA

Huh, some people are gluttons for punishment it seems. This book was a complete mess to me. Another publicity stunt that didn't appeal to anyone outside of the two groups of established readers. I'm pretty familiar with Marvel continuity, and I found it hard to follow. It looked good though.

5. WE3

This list just took a turn for the better! Despite some of the readers apparent lack of taste, I'd like to think this book is one that everyone is enjoying. This is one of those people will be talking about a decade from now.

4. DC: THE NEW FRONTIER

Ditto. This is a fantastic piece, and if you missed the issues, Vol. 1of the collection is out as of today, go buy it. Yeah, it pisses me off that it'll be in two seperate volumes, but I'll deal.

3. EX MACHINA

After disliking the other Vaughan books I'd tried to get into, I passed on this one. It keeps getting praise, and i'll probably check out the trade.

2. ASTONISHING X-MEN

I dropped this after the first issue. Everyone seems to be loving it, but I'm just not biting on any more monthly x-books. There's too much to keep up with.

1. IDENTITY CRISIS

I guess there are a lot of DC readers at Comicscape, and i assume this was before they read the ending. As someone who's never followed the DCU closely, I'd have had no friggin clue about who did it, nor would I have gave a damn. Glad I passed it up, and I hate to think this was the years best.

There were some honorable mentions:

1602; HUMAN TARGET; SECRET IDENTITY; BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS; FABLES; MADROX; OPTIC NERVE; GUARDIANS; RUNAWAYS; FALLEN ANGEL; Y: THE LAST MAN; THE WALKING DEAD; CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME; SUPREME POWER; MAN-THING; EVERYMAN: BE THE PEOPLE ("published by FWD Books in September...it's tightly written with outstanding but accessible art," Tony Shenton tells us); NYX; BIRDS OF PREY; ROSE AND THORN; WONDER WOMAN; JSA; and LUCIFER.

Of those I like 1602, Bullseye, Fables, Guardians, Y, Madrox, and Supreme Power. It was nice to see Optic Nerve in there, but sadly I'm not a regular reader. Yeah, yeah, I plan on fixing that.

Again, this wasn't mypics, I'll probably have those later this week.

Elsewhere on the web,

ADD takes a look at what's coming in 2005.

Mike has a contest to win, for free, the latest Swamp Thing Trade. Go check it out, nothing beats free swag.

So...more tomorrow? Why not?!

-L

The list, and other stuff

The 4400: The Complete First Season

Retail on this is a verylowe $26.99, which means you can likely find in for around $20. I hate that I missed it when it aired, and I might pick it up soon, it looked pretty interesting.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

This, on the other hand, I'm staying the hell away from. You couldn't pay me to rent it.

De-Lovely

Cole Porter is a favorite of mine, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this bio-pic, hopefully during Christmas weekend.

King Arthur

Available in two versions, I'll be renting the unrated, intended version. Studios screwing with a director's vision is nothing new, thankfully we have DVD's now so we can enjoy the movie the way it was intended...or at least see it the way it was intended.

The Manchurian Candidate

This remake can't be nearly as intelligent as the original...mainly because it's a remake. I plan on seeing it, mostly because of Washington, but I recommend everyone see the Sinatra version first, if you haven't already.

Napoleon Dynamite

Can this be as good as everyone seems to think it is? I plan on finding out, and I plan on being disappointed, movies like this never live up to their hype for me.

Shaun of the Dead

And movies like this tend to far exceed their hype. Looks brilliant.

The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season

Do you need anymore info?

Star Trek Voyager: Season Seven

Also available, the entire series as a set. How can Trek fans afford this stuff?

Surviving Christmas

Well, that was fast...

Thunderbirds

Looked far too juvenile for me to pay good money for, but I may rent it.

Two Brothers

If this had played near me for longer than a week I'd have gone to see it. I don't normally go in for movies solely about animals, but this one looks too good to pass up.

I finished Chappelle's Show Season 1 today. It's a great set, with an uber-cheap asking price ($20 most places, sometimes less) and probvably the best sketch comedy show since the early years of SNL. It's equal parts brilliant satire and sophmoric fart jokes. It does something very few shows have been able to, address racial issues without seeming preachy or one-sided, and makes you laugh at the same time. It'snot for the kiddies, but it's got a little bit of everything for all you adults out there. Go, buy it, rent it, watch it, support it.

I downloaded the Sin City trailer a few hours ago as well, and I'm officially excited about it. It looks stylish, and like most Rodriguez films will likely be misunderstood by most of the movie going public (ormaybe that's just here in the South?). It looks like it's going to be the most faithful comic-to-film adaption ever, and the casting is nothing short of brilliant. Cinescape has a link to it if you wanna gander at it.

NBC is airing off it's final episodes of Father of the Pride while most other shows take a holiday break. It was a doomed-from-the-start concept that can't get past it's own intent. Without a broad appeal it never had a chance on network TV, and couldn't be the "adult" show it strived for without being on cable. It seems like everything John Goodman has touched since Roseanne has turned to crap, no fault of his own, but still rather dismaying.

I got a copy of America: The Book as an early Christmas present this week. It's freaking brilliant. I can't remember the last time I sat and read a book, and the fact that it's made up like a school textbook makes it even funnier!

Comic book stuff tomorrow...I swear!

-L

Recent Happenings

Family problems continue to abound, but seeing as I've bogged this place down with them lately, I'm going to talk about a few other things.

First, I'm gonna start doing some small reviews here again for the floppies I buy, mainly because there's so few of them now, and also they're more mainstrean stuff, and I never get around to putting five or six together for CBG Quick Hits. So, look for that to start happening again.

I recieved a few early Christmas presents, my Falcons clinched a first round bye-week in the NFL Playoffs today because the Jaguars beat the Packers. Also, they won yesterday, and last week clinched their third division title in franchise history. Most of you don't care, I'm sure, but (insert smiley-sticking-out-tongue here)!!

More football news, I'm in the playoff in my Fantasy League, and like my boys, I got a first round bye. WOOOHOOO!!!!!

I'd like to say I've been watching a ton of movies, but I haven't. I did get around to one though, borrowed from my brother:

Scotland, PA

It's got a great cast, particularly Chris Walken, and it's about a couple of diner workers who murder their boss and take over the business, using his ideas to make a ton of money. Walken plays an investigator looking into the murder, and while there are the usual Walken quirks, it's rare to see him playing such a great guy. The man doesn't have a huge acting range, but he's always a pleasure to watch. Well worth the rent, even if you aren't into oddlittle crime capers or dark comedies.

I did finish Seinfeld, and everyone should buy it, I promised a rundown of the features, but Amazon.com does a better job, and you can buy it while you're there.

I've also picked up the new Family Guy DVD, The Freakin' Sweet Collection. It's got all new commentaries on four of the five episodes (Seth's favorites) and the original version of THE ROAD TO RHODE ISLAND episode. Good stuff, bought solely for the features of course. It's also got previews of the new season, and his new show American Dad.

And lastly, David Goyer is apparently set to helm The Flash for Warner Bros., you can read the full story here.

Right now the Shat is singing Christmas Carols on Boston Legal, which means, naturally, more tomorrow!

The Sky is Falling

Or so some people would have you think.

A new anti-terrorism bill may prove to be the first steps in a nation-wide ID card, or driver's license.

First, the term anti-terrorism bill makes me nervous. Shouldn't laws prettymuch be along those lines anyway? Do we need to pass bills saying terrorism is wrong?

I know that's not the exact nature of the thing, but the way it's worded is a bit laughable.

Lots of people are crying foul because they say it opens the door for the government to delve further into our private lives. And, while this bill may do that, I don't think a nation-wide license would be a bad idea. Plenty of states have easily duplicated licenses, allowing for effective fakes. A nationwide ID would help guard against that, stopping some under-age drinking and smoking in the process.

Why is this a bad thing?

-L

Getting Worked Up

I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning and fight off the depression that's been setting in to peruse the web for awhile. I found a few things that got my blood flowing...

First was the new Chris Allen Comments at CBG. Chris is one of the few writers that I can read regardless of subject. Much like his partner in crime, ADD, I'm always glad to see what he's got cooked up. His latest focuses mostly on Bob Layton and his excuses for the demise of Future Comics. It's witty and insightful, and yes Chris, mean at certain points, but honesty is never easy to give or take.

I hadn't read all of Layton's list of B.S. yet, so most of it was new to me, and if you have, Chris' comments should get a pretty good laugh out of you. Go check it out.

Then I got linked to Christopher Butcher via the CBG Blog, and I discovered something new and wonderful. Like both Mike and Dorian, Chris works at a comic book retail store, apparently one of the best. His current topic is something I've seen discussed at length, but his comments about it are funny and very, very right. Example:

"If you want to know what's wrong with giving people what they want, I'll tell you: It's the same reason we don't let children smoke or drive cars, put child-proof tops on asprin, or let business' pollute wherever the fuck they want (without paying a massive kickback first). It's the same reason that many legitimate, intelligent business favour steady and incrimental growth over a scorched-earth policy of sales: Because people need to be protected from themselves, a lot of the time. "

Great stuff, and as soon as I update my sidebar (soon, I swear), he'll be added.

Speaking of Mike and dorian, they've got the rundown on New Comic Book Day, always a favorite of mine.

Comicscape wants to know your favorite and least favorite books of the year, and there's also a review of Rising Stars #23 up. I don't necessarily agree, but it's well written and makes some good points.

For anyone wondering, yes, I seem to have gotten the hang of HTML. Maybe more later if I can drag myself out of the house.

-L

The Funeral

It was today. It was the one of the two hardest thing I've ever had to experience in my life. Fair warning, this will be a personal post.

The first one is my Brother's cancer. A few years ago he was diagnosed with lymphoma (nod-hodgkins I believe), and it was hell. Being identical twins, in the end the "cure" came from some sort of blood transfusion thing, from me to him. I'm not a doctor, and I don't know the terms, basically he needed my white blood cells...something like that. Like I said, it was hell watching him deal with that every day. Having to drive two hours and be hooked up to machines for another eight almost killed him, in spirit if nothing else. But in that situation I could, and did, do something.

But there was nothing I could do here.

What can you say to a man, your own father, that will make him feel better? Or your uncles? Should you be strong? Hold your head up, tell them she's in a better place, that at least she isn't in pain anymore? Or should you mourn with them, cry your tears of regret and sorrow, and say how sorry you are? What do you tell three men who will never again see the woman that gave birth to them?

What do you tell your brothers and sisters when they say how much they regret not having seen her for the last few years? Tell them that she understood? Tell them it's okay, that they couldn't have been expected to come up with the money for a flight to Oklahoma? Or do you tell them they're right, that we all should've gone to see her in this last year of her life? After all, it was only money...

What do you tell your four year-old niece when she says she wants her Nannie to wake up? What do you say when she asks where she's going? Or, what's wrong with her?

What do you say to her sister, the only surving sibling left now?

What do you say to the friends and other family members who come to pay their respects?

Most of all, what do you say as you watch her coffin be lowered into the ground? You will never see this person again, what do you say?

I do not know. I don't think there are words to say. I'm not sorry she's gone, because this last year of her life was Hell on Earth. I do regret not seeing her, but I'm very happy I didn't see her in a hospital. I remember her as a woman who didn't need a tube to feed her, a woman that could remember who you were. I'm thankful for the times I have spent with her, and for her love and understanding in all of my most trying times. When I had no home, she gave me one, and with that she gave me hope. She was more a mother to me than my Mother. She was one of the few people who accepted me as I am in my life, never asking me to compromise anything for her. Yes, she was demanding for attention at times, but it was a small price to pay for such an unconditional love, and something I'm certainly glad I gave now that she's gone. My fondest memories in life involve Sunday afternoons in her trailer, watching a football or baseball game, falling asleep on her couch and waking up to some home cooked meals, and maybe a board game or two, or even a jigsaw puzzle. And that's they way I'll remember her.

I love you, I'll miss you,

-Your first grandson, Logan Polk

I thank you all for stopping by, and while I'd like topromise this place will resume it's sporadic updates, it's doubtful. I may get in a post or two before the new year, but it's likely that they will be of the same personal variety. So, I hope to start the year off right by my little blog and maybe have my life back to some semblance of normality. I thank you for your patience in these, my most trying times.

-L

The State of the Union

The Union being me....

My Grandmother passed away recently, which has been yet another cause of my blog silence. For all thewell wishers, it's much appreciated. For those concerned, I'm handling it pretty well, actually most of the family is, she had been ill for quite awhile (you may remember me posting about it a few months back) so this wasn't entirely unexpected. She was recovering pretty nicely, but he blood sugar began to drop and it could never be stabalized, simply put, she fell asleep and never woke up. My only wish is that it wasn't painful in any way.

I was pretty close to her up until a few years ago, when she moved to Oklahoma with two of her sons and their families. Regrettably by then our relationship was strained, mostly due to her refusal to eliminate a few choice people who did nothing but steal from her and swindle her out of any money she had. It boils down to stereotypical old-folks-money syndrome. Me being the hard headed person that I am, I gave an ultimatum. It's a choice I regret, because of the rift it caused, but it's one I've come to live with.

Her health had been declinig rapidly before this last year, mostly due to he life long smoking habit. So, I'm gonna pause here and plead with anyone out there smoking cigarettes, please stop. You're killing yourself and those of us around you. Stop.

I'm going to avoid the pity-party, I'm hoping I'm well past that portion of this. I'd like to think i'm getting to acceptance, but I don't think that'll happen until the funeral.

See, we haven't gotten to have the funeral yet.

Why?

Basically the state of Oklahoma is holding my dead grandmother's body hostage. She's been dead for a number of days, and she's been embalmed, but they have not cleared her to be flown her to Georgia for the funeral. We're not sure why, and it's possible she could be on her way tomorrow, we can only hope.

No one can give us a logical explination as to why she can't be sent here yet, and when the funeral hom called on our behalf this is what they were told, verbatum: "She can be first in line for a flight tomorrow, or she can be last, depending on how you handle this conversation with me."

What?

What the F^&* does that mean?

We're talking about a grieving family, quite a few who have already travelled from Oklahoma to come to the funeral, and the state of Oklahoma, or maybe it's just Oklahoma City, is keeping us from laying to rest a woman that we all loved, and our funeral home is being blackmailed into acting civil to these assholes, excuse my frankness. For what reason?

I'd like to know, but no one can tell me.

So, let this be a huge lesson to all of you; whatever you do, don't die in Oklahoma.

-L

R.I.P.

Dimebag Darrel, former guitarist of the metal legend band, Pantera, was gunned down last evening in a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Odd that it would come on the 24th anniversary of John Lennon's death, and while I wasn't a huge fan, there's no denying the man's talent.

-L

Neo's List

Internet complications have caused my inactivity lately (always seems to be something lately) but here's what hit stores this morning on the DVD shelves.

Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again

Other than Ron White (who really is hilarious) I don't think I can stomach any more of these guys.

The Bourne Supremacy

Been waiting to see this one. I enjoyed the first one, but heard bad things about this, we'll see.

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century: Complete Series

The geek in me wants this so bad, even though I barely remember the show.

Crusade: The Complete Series

Wasn't this a B5 spin-off? I've been seeing advo's everywhere for it. Never watched it.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story

Another one I want to rent soon.

Dracula 3000

Apparently one sequel to the mediocre Dracula 2000 wasn't enough.

Flintstones: The Complete Second Season

Not a fan, but this is a quality set.

Gargoyles: The Complete First Season

I vaguely remember this one too, mostly because of Jonathan Frakes voice work.

The Lion King Movie Collection

Yeah, all three movies together.

Species III

Some things just baffle me.

Star Trek Voyager: Season Six

Too bad I can't afford the damn sets.

Top Cat: The Complete Series

Again, not a fan, but it is a nice looking set.

The Ultimate Matrix Collection

10 discs. 10 DISCS!!!! That's gotta be the biggest set ever, for movies anyway.

That's it for now, hopefully my internet will quit booting me every fifteen minutes and I'll actually have a real update soon.

-L

I hate AOL

It is Satan. It's like the Matrix, I cannot escape it, it's evil incarnate! It just caused me to lose one long-ass blog post. So, Time-Warner, in the words of the immortal machine: Bite my shiny metal (or in this case, fat pasty white) ass.

Bah! (Why doesn't Dr. Doom have his own blog? I'm gonna kill whoever steals that idea.)

No way I'm retyping everything, so, more tomorrow.

-L

The Double D

Watched the Daredevil Director's Cut, and it was indeed much better than the theatrical version. There was entire storyline cut out of the film that gives you more of Foggy mostly, but it also ties in to the Kingpin storyline and ultimately makes it feel complete. The movie still has its flaws (dialogue and voice over mainly) but the extended version feels like a whole rather than the static feel of the theatrical release. Worth a rent at the very least, but beware, it's unrated and the language is a bit harsher, for those of you with kids.

As for everything else, one of the reviews is up at CBG, so do please check it out. Haven't sent my other one it yet, still polishing it up.

I missed Smallville this week, which truly sucks, hopefully I didn't miss anything important.

Still haven't made it to the comic shop this week, but I will today. Hell, I haven't finished reading last weeks stash. For those wondering, my new floppy policy seems to be working well, I spent $12 last week, and it looks like less than ten $10 week. And no, I'm not buying New Avengers.

-L

A Mesh Made in Heaven

I didn't make it by the comic shop today, mainly because of getting called into work, but I did make it by Best Buy to pick up the Spidey 2 Box Set. Looks really interesting, and I loved the packaging. Never read the comic that came with it, so I'm looking forward to that too.

I also picke up the Daredevil Director's Cut, a friend recommended it, said it was much better. I enjoyed the theatrical version, so I'm hoping this is indeed a better film, otherwise I wasted $12.

Also took a chance on the new Jay-Z/Linkin Park album. It's only got six tracks, but man, what a great six tracks it is. Going in this album has multiple things against it. Linkin Park is not a favorite band of mine, I enjoy a few of their songs for what they are, mainly club-type techno/rap/rock good for occasional radio play. On top of that it's something with the words MTV Presents on the cover, it's amazing how many alarms that sent off in my head. Add to that a short track list, and a few other variables and I could very well have passed all together.

But, it's Jay-Z. Jay-Z. The man is a living legend, and probably the best rap artist on the planet. The fact that his name was on it was enough to get me to pick it up. I'm glad I did. It's an amazing piece of work, blending two somewhat similar, yet somehow infinitely different styles together flawlessly. There's enough meshing so that you never get tired of Linkin Park's repetitive vocal or musical styles, and they actually add something fresh to Jay-Z's older songe making them feel new again. The rap/rock thing doesn't always worlk, in fact it's rare, but when it does it's fabulous, and this is definitely one of those rare exceptions. Pick it up.

-L

The Web Heads List


Spider-Man 2

Available in multiple editions, including a set with the first, and a Special Edition box set with a reprint of the comic it's loosely based on. Guess which one I'll be buying?

Star Trek The Original Series: Seasons 1-3

I'm not even a Trekkie and I want this.

The director's cut of Daredevil arrives today as well, Best Buy has it for $12. I liked the original enough to seek this out. Also, Hero, but I couldn't find it listed, but it's out there. I'm very interested in seeing it as well. Wow, that's a short list.

I've been working on a few reviews, so that's why the blog silence. I'm watching my Seinfeld set, and it's magnificent, everyone should own this. I'm gonna do a rundown of all the stuff on it soon...which may turn into next month the way things are going.

Heh

This month marks the year mark for my blog, didn't even realize that until today. Hope everyone had a great weekend and a Happy Thanksgiving. Been doing alot of reading lately, so apologies for the absence, I'm hoping to be more active this week.

I watched the Home Movies set and I was extremely disappointed in some of the special features, particularly the featuretes, or interviews, whatever they call them. Boring stuff guys. Aqua Teen, however, was great. I, of course, bought Seinfeld, and I'm really impressed. It's a massive set, and I can't wait to dive into it.

Not much in the way of movies lately, but I did watch NBC's Christmas Carol The Musical tonight. It was a bit overdone, relying on entirely too much singing (yeah, I know it's a musical, but still) .

I got three floppies last week at the comic shop, which means my cut backs are working out nicely. This week looks lite as well, but I'll be ordering a few things from Mike (Progressive Ruin, see sidebar) so that'll take up some extra cash.

Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to discuss tomorrow!

-L

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving to all you U.S. folks out there. If you're not in the U.S. well, happy Thursday...or whatever day it is for you.

If you get out tomorrow, be safe, and Best Buy has the Seinfeld Re-Gift Set for $80 with an exclusive bonus disc, well worth your money.

Turkey Time!!!

-L

Money, Money Money! Money!

I officially have none left, here's what I spent it on:

Superman: Birthright HC

HERO: Vol. 1

Hard Time Vol. 1 (I wasn't impressed with #1, but I keep hearing how good it is...it better be!)

Formerly Known as the Justice League

She-Hulk vol 1

MK Spider-Man Vol. 1

Fables Vol. 2

Billi 99 (picked it up cuz of the Sale art, looking forward to reading it)

and....

Carnet De Voyage

Really looking forward to this. I was tempted to get The Conversation as well, but I read several poor reviews.

Less Than Heroes

Ditto, though I have no idea what it's about. The Warren Ellis blurb was a bit off putting, but I'm one of those people who enjoy the tights books, so I guess thats why.

The Heart of the Beast HC

A Vertigo series I've never heard of, but it's got Sean Phillips art, and I'm trying to find something by him I enjoy (other than that short vampire tale from Drawing on Your Nightmares).

Stonehaven: Milk Cartons & Dog Biscuits

Another book I'm unfamiliar with, I paid something like $5 for it, and it's a huge trade.

Planet Racers- Book One: Life Cycle

Paid $3 for it, and I love what little Lawson & Laird work I have read.

Castle Waiting: The Lucky Road

I read a review of this somewhere, not sure where got good marks, and I got it at a good discount. Looks really interesting.

After that it was back issue bin diving. nothing too interesting, but I did find damaged copies of:

Fantastic Four #52

First Black Panther, and this will be my first Lee/Kirby FF issue ever. Yeah, yeah, I know.

Avengers #38

A Lee/Heck issue, possible continder for that Avengers review thing, but I'll have to read it first I suppose.

Thor #141

Lee/Kirby Thor, at least it's pretty, hopefully it's interesting.

Iron Man #6

Goodwin/Tuska tale, couldn't pass it up for the price.

Tales to Astonish #61-62

More firsts, this time Lee/Ditko, three of the four tales anyway.

Each of those issues cost me $2, and besides the covers they're in pretty good shape. Can't wait to read em.

Also picked up Battle Pope: Mayhem #1-2, Uncanny X-Men #175 (and #73, which reprints #25), Capes #2-3, and an interesting looking book called Oink (#'s1-4) from Kitchen Sink.

So much for uninteresting! There was more...but I think I've bored you guys enough!

-L

Shades of a Good Movie

Just watched a rather interesting film, Shade, starring quite a few well known, although somewhat past their prime, actors.

The story is fairly simple, a group of conmen played by Gabriel Byrne, Stuart Townsend and Thandie Newton, reunite for one last shakedown, this time poker legend, The Dean, played by Sylvester Stallone. There's some good talent rounding out the supporting cast, including Melanie Griffith, Jamie Foxx, and Hal Holbrook. There's even an apearence by Star Trek alum Michael Dorn, looking his most un-Warf-ish ever.

Foxx's role is far too brief, he just plays a mark at the beginning of the film, as is Holbrook's, who gets more out of his five minutes than Townsend gets in the whole movie. Overall it's very well acted though, I even enjoyed Griffith's performance, which is very rare for me.

There are elements from the much better film, Rounders that do pop up now and then, and there's even some of that "not what you think it is" element that The Usual Suspects made so famous. Worth a rent, and the DVD has quite a few extras, including a commentrak and two featurettes.

For those wondering, yes Stallone is pretty good. He doesn't have much to do except look imposing and spit out a few lines of dialogue now and then, but it's still the best performance he's turned in in quite sometime. Thandie Newton was a surprise, she seemed to fall of the face of the earth after the failure that was The Truth About Charlie. She's not a bad actress, and given the right role she could be excellent, but this isn't it. Byrne is the most notable of the bunch, you're never sure if you should like him or hate him, even after the all-too-obvious plot twist towards the end.

-L

Video Games

I don't talk about them much, but a discussion I had yesterday has had me thinking seriously about a few things.

First, anyone who's played Vice City, or even the new San Andreas can give you testimony on how truly excellent video games can be. I'm not just talking in terms of story or gameplay style, but both of those are a big draw. Especially the graphics.

It seems that companies (and some adult groups who are always looking to censor us) seem to think the GTA games are a hit because of the mature subject matter. Mature is probably the wrong word, honestly it's quite juvenile, and very delinquent, morally bankrupt would likely be the best description. While it's true that those things are a draw to certain types of people, what draws most of its fans (including me) in is the extremely amazing graphics, the vastness of the things you can do, the non-linear gameplay, the exploration of a city that's probably bigger than the town I live in. It's a virtual world, and you cannot find a console game that even comes close to this type of thing.

So why the violence? Why not make a childrens game this engrossing? If you could make a game like this, aimed towards a younger audience, you'd have a hit. Spider-Man 2 comes close, but the storyline falls short of anything worthwhile, and honestly brings the rest of the game down as well. The challenges were exteemely difficult, and finding all of the little bonus coins became ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, there are some damn fine games out there aimed toward the younger crowd (Nintendo represents that group constantly) but nothing on this level. It's a shame really.

Seems like video games and comics have more and more in common each passing year. Kids are getting left behind for the most part (especially the 5-7 year olds) and without an entry level game to get them playing it's likely they'll never pick up a controller.

Sure, there's always the sea of sports game that'll hook some of them, but not everyone's a sports fan.

So, Bungee, Rockstar, even you EA fellas...what're you gonna do when your audience is too damn old to use a joystick?

-L

Smallville, etc.

Disappointing. If it weren't for the acting this show would have fallen on its ass after the first episode. The "sex" is driving me insane. I realize they're trying to appeal to a teen crowd, but does every episode have to have sex in it? It was nice to have a plot that didn't solely revolve around Lana or Clark...or even Chloe, and to have a villian from outside the "kryptonian mutant" list. Millar and Gough should thatnk the gods they picked suche great talent for the show. Oh, and the Lana sublot was flat out dumb. I haven't the foggiest where they're going with it, and I'm not interested in the least.

Four episodes of Roswell Season One left, and what I said about the sex in Smallville goes double for this, mainly because these characters are around 16 and that's a bit much. It's borderline pornography, too. Waaaay more suggestive than most of Smallvilles transgressions. Fortunately the alien plots didn't take too much of a backseat, and in some cases were directly responsible for the innuendo's. I've heard bad things about the second season, which pisses me off. Still, it was only $15.

Picked up Aqua Teen and Home Movies (told you it was out) today, as well as Elf and the extended cut of Underworld. All money well spent, and I even managed to watch Every Aqua Teen episode. The Home Movies DVD looks like fun, tons of features and behind the scenes stuff. Now I cannot wait until The Venture Bros. DVD hits next year.

Also picked up the 5 Days Til Midnight DVD, Home on the Range and Envy. Haven't watched em yet though. Oh, and I bought Saved!, so I'm looking forward to doing a more in-depth review of it sometime down the road, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Not much in the way of comics this week (gee, could it be all that money I spent on DVDs?!?!) but I'm hitting a small convention this weekend, hoping to find some stuff there.

I spend too much money!

-L

Best List Ever

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Three

What a way to start off a DVD release list! This is the most insanely asinine, yet completely brilliant show on television.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Complete Seventh Season

Given my recent like of angel, it might be time to pick up some of the later Buffy seasons, or maybe just rent them.

The Chronicles Of Riddick

Pass. Instead go get Pitch Black.

Clive Barker Presents Saint Sinner

Oh yeah. Didn't catch this when it aired oh so many years ago, cannot wait to pick it up. Based on the comic book, by the way.

Daredevil (Director's Cut)

I know this has been resolicited for later this month, or maybe even December, I'll try and track down the date. Still, it's popped up on several release schedules.

Dragon Ball GT: Hero's Legacy - Feature (Uncut)

This is the first GT film to hit the US I believe. Can't wait to see it. Yes, I like Dragonball.

Elf

One of the best, if not THE best, holiday films I've ever seen.

Frasier: The Final Season

Too little too late I say. If they were gonna wait this long, why not just wait until we could have them in order.

The Hebrew Hammer

This was a Comedy Central original, based on a short film. Looks funny as hell, and it's got adam Goldberg in it, and he's always great.

Jamie Cullum: Live at Blenheim Palace

One of the best musician/singers to come along in recent years. I cannot recommend this guy enough.

Kids In The Hall: Season 2 (1990-1991)

Was never a Kids fan, but hey, it's got a huge cult following, so knock yourself out.

http://videoeta.com/movie/67641

This aired on Comedy Central as well. Good, good, stuff.

Smallville: The Complete Third Season

I think it speaks for itself.

Space Ghost Coast To Coast: Volume Two

Still haven't tracked down Vol. 1 yet. Funny stuff, and the best version of Space Ghost ever, I don't care what the hell Alex Toth thinks.

Top Gun (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

More Tom Cruise than anyone can handle.

The Iron Giant: Special Edition

I know this is coming out, but some have it on their lists and some places don't. Brad Bird directed it, he also did the Incredibles, so if you liked that film, please, please track this down. It's probably the greatest traditionally animated film (next to the Lion King) ever made.

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete First Season

This is another one that was sporadic. Both Best Buy and Circuit City have it listed though, so that's good enough for me. This show alone makes this the best DVD Tuesday ever. I know everyone loves Seinfeld, but for my money this is the greatest show to ever air on television.

Home Movies: Season One

Another iffy, but Adult Swim has it listed, so I'm gonna trust them. Great show once you get used to the "shaky" animation.

See, told ya. Lots of goodies out there, go spend that paycheck!

While you're at it, and if you're over 18, Eminem's new CD Encore is out, well worth the bucks if you like Rap. Not as good as The Eminem Show, but I don't think anything ever will be. For those that like his goofy side, there's tons of cut-up songs on here. Maybe I'll get into more detail about it later. Right now I'm addicted to Burnout 3, I cannot stop playing it.

See you tomorrow!

-L

More Rambling!

Got called into work yesterday, so no posting for me, apologies. (I do that alot...)

I did get to see my Falcons win against the Bucs, a team that has had their number for almost three years.

Dorian pointed out something I thought was extremely funny, the "death" of Future Comics, and the fact that Bob Layton blames retailers for it. His comments are spot on. I read one or two (did they offer two...can't remember) of their Free Comic Book Day offerings and found them severely lacking. The art was atrocious, the plots seemed boring as hell, and the characters were uninspired. Hey Bob, that's never a thing. My local shop never carried a single issue, and if it had there might have been people storming through the door demanding their money back. Go visit Dorian!!!

Speaking of...I noticed something a few days ago and was happy I'm not the only one who's done it. This isn't a "look at his mistakes" cry, because God knows I screw something up in each post, but Dorian and I both spell Brian K. Vaughan's name wrong. I noticed when reviewing The Runaways that I've been spelling it Vaughn, then Dorian posted something and spelled it the same way as well. It was a relief to see, and made me feel infinitely less like a jackass.

So, here's a public apology to Brian K. Vaughan, sorry I've been spelling your name wrong for over two years...

Mike over at Progressive Ruin is pleading for people to crash his comments section. So go do it. He wants to know what your current favorite monthly book is.

Still haven't been able to get the The New Frontier, and I'm thinking it will have to wait for Thanksgiving, I should have plenty of time then. I've also gotten all of Marvels Human Torch series and I'll dive into that pretty soon as well.

-L

Blah Blah Blah

Nope, I'm not dead. I didn't expect to be as absent as I have been, but the break from my blogging has made my heart grow fonder. I can't count the number of times this past week I've thought "I gotta write something about that..." then got home and played massive amounts of Halo 2 and forgot all about it.

So, in short, lots to talk about.

There should be another review going up on CBG shortly, this time of Marvel's Runaways Vol. 1.

Speaking of comics, I bought one floppy this week, Bullseye, it rocked. I also picked up Vol. 2 of the Daredevil HC collections, and will get Vol. 3 next week hopefully. Meant to get She-Hulk, and forgot. Got Ennis' Judge Dredd TPB as well. It'll be nice to read some good Ennis stuff.

In comics related news, Marvel is suing the creators of the MMORPG, City of Heroes. Like Dorian (see sidebar, make with the clicky) I think's it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. The House of Ideas must be broke.

Halo 2 is awesome, by the way, but it's disappointing as well. Considering how massive and unique the first one was, you'd think the second would just improve on that by leaps and bounds. Instead what we get is like a shinier version, with a few new tricks. They seem to have went with a "if it ain't broke" policy, but when you think about the wait for the game it becomes even more disappointing. What the hell took so long guys? Next time take a lesson form the folks developing GTA, "if it ain't broke, make it bigger and better."

Watched Walking Tall this week. It's a shame The Rock didn't have a better script and/or director. The guy is charismatic as hell, and unlike the action stars of yesteryear he's got this relatable quality to him. He proved himself in The Rundown, but this film was mediocre at best. It is based on a true story, and it's a problem that's very real, but the approach was off. Instead of a dramatic action film we get an action film with some drama thrown in. Every aspiring acting director/writer should have to watch Man on Fire. That's how it's supposed to be done people.

Smallville was awful this week. It was very cool that they decided to bring in yet another element from the books (and under my nose too, didn't hit me until the very end of the episode), but making the three girls into witches just seemed dumb. Why does everything that ever happens have to involve someone from Smallville? Couldn't it have just been someone else, did it have to be Lana? It's such an obvious plot device that it seems more like some sort of fanfiction (I've used that phrase twice this week...weird). Note to the writers: there is a bigger universe out there, explore it. Hell, it would have made more sense to have some random goth girl be the witch. Still lovin' Lex though, at least they always get him right.

That brings me to anoth TV show, this one in my DVD player, Roswell. I'm halfway through the first season, and I'm hooked. Sure the plots are about as standard teen-angst as you can get, but the X-Files-ish premise makes for some interesting twists. This and Angel have now become my new "must haves" on DVD.

I do want to say "shame!" to the Smallville crew for blatantly ripping off Roswell plot devices (the caves, the cryptic writing, plus tons of other stuff) but Roswell also borrows heavily from a few Superman elements as well, so I guess it can be forgiven. Still, weren't these on the same network? Putting them in the same universe would have just ruled (just a thought, but the Roswell kids could have been set up to be young Zod and crew, then cross the shows, and blam! instant classic! God, I should be a TV exec.). Something to think about, especially if you've seen both shows. Well, I haven't seen all of Roswell....

Wow, I'm rambling....I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Halo 2

Comes out tomorrow folks, and I'm excited as hell. Except for sending some reviews in to CBG, expect me to be scarce over the next week or so.

-L

Incredibly Incredible

I don't think there's ever been a movie with a worthier title. Could be the best superhero movie ever, and one of the best films this year, definitely ranks tops in the best animated films ever.

Go see it, take the kids, take everyone you can find. It's anything and everything you could ask for in a spandex film.

And, for the record, John Byrne, you are the biggest f*%!ing idiot the comics industry has ever seen. Yes, even bigger than Rob. This movie could have kids coming back to superheroes and comics in droves if it had been marketed right. This is everything that could be right about superheroes in comics.

-L

Toys!

Just one actually, but it's a good one.

Looks like Diamond Select is answering a demand that I didn't even realize fans had. Angel fans will recognize this: Cinescape - Home - Editorial immediately, and will likely want to have one.

I haven't seen the "Puppet Episode", but I did catch the preview of it when it aired so many months ago. Looked funny and promising. With my newfound love of the show, I'll get to the episode as soon as money allows, and i really can't wait to see it.

Not sure if I'd pay $50 for a stuffed doll, but it looks like a nice collectible, much better than the action figures.

Only managed to get to the Pilot episode of Roswell, but I loved it. One part X-Files, one part Dawson's Creek (though the creators say My So-Called Life, looks closer to Dawson.) with a brilliant cast. Can't wait to get to the rest.

Yes, that does mean I finished Angel. The season ender was disappointing, but overall I loved the set. The Wolfram & Hart lawyers quickly became my favorite characters. The lack of tons of special features was disconcerting, given the retail price of the seasons. Still, well worth the $15 I paid for it, here's hoping Amazon hooks us up with something along those lines again, and soon!

I also got a chance to see a brilliantly mad movie called Saved! last night. The cast was excellent (Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macauley Culkin, and more that I can't remember at the moment), and the chracterizations were so dead-on that I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry. It's the story of a young girl and her friends raised in a Christian lifestyle and what happens when that's then only thing you've ever know. I'll get around to doing a big review of it eventually (hopefully soon), but it's one of the most accurate portrayals of the wackiness that happens when you only surround yourself with one type of people, especially Chrstians. Buy, rent, whatever, just watch it, it's well worth the dough.

5Q

ADD's latest 5Q's are up at Newsarama now, always a good read. This week he talks comic retail with J.C. Glindmeyer. Go check it out.

NEWSARAMA

Tough Crowd

Seeing as the show was cancelled, most of you probably don't know what it is, but Colin Quinn's political comedy round table show aired after the Daily Show every weekday. While it wasn't always successful, Quinn and company were often entertaining, and sometimes downright hilarious. No, it wasn't Politically Incorrect, but it was probably one of the most honest shows airing on television. Sucks to see it go, here's hoping all those guys land on their feet.

-L

Comics, TV, More Comics, and More TV

Smallville was pretty good last night, looking forward to seeing exactly what Lex has up his sleeve, and hopefully seeing more of Mr. Mkxlptk, or however you spell it. Next weeks episode looks to continue the "sexed up" feel this season seems to be carrying. Which is a shame.

I'm down to my last episode of Angel Season One. Looks like Season 2 will be on my Christmas wish list. I'll be starting Roswell this weekend, here's hoping it doesn't suck.

AOL members got an exclusive peak at the teaser trailer for Episode III, and color me impressed. Still looks a tad bit over the top, but promising nonetheless.

Picked up quite a few floppies this week, including WE3, which I apparently missed last week. Also picked up Volume 1 od the Daredevil Hardcover series for $20.

Now, it looks beautiful, and I've read the stories within (it includes Smith's run and Mack's, minus issue #12 for some strange reason) and they're pretty damned good. I do have a huge glaring problem though, the names on the cover are Smith, Quesada, and Mack. Yes, they're probably the three most notable cpntributors, but was there really no room for Jimmy Palmiotti's (did I spell that right?) name? My local shop also has Vol. 2 & 3 for $20 a piece, I'm looking forward to getting them.

Look for my reviews to be exclusive to CBG, unless it's just going to be random older stuff I pick up now and then. I've been reading that Kingpin mini from awhile back, and apparently I'm missing the last issue, which gives me an even better reason to finally get with Mike (over at Progressive Ruin) about some stuff I've been wanting to buy.

Both South Park and Drawn Together were disappointing last night. I thought Parker & Stone's bash on Wal-Mart was odd. Not wrong, not right, just odd. As for Drawn...no matter how many times you say it, vagina isn't a laughter-inducing word guys...

My other comics this week were Y, the Last Man, the Guardians, Ult. Fantastic Four, and Rising Stars. It was nice to see a new issue of Rising Stars after, what, almost a year? Maybe more? Still good stuff, but the art almost soured it for me. Ult. FF is next on the drop list, since this wraps up the Doom arc. I'm hoping Guardians continues, because I've read a few things about that being the last issue. Anyone know anything?

Oh, yeah, and I got the Intimates #1 too, haven't read it yet though.

I'll post a link whenever I get the reviews done and the get put up.

Still working on the New Frontier re-read, and hoping that DC will wise up and produce a HC of the entire series.

Oh, looks like the Hand-Puppet is gonna be here four more years. At least he actually got elected this time.

Pal Dino (blog to the right) has a ton of info and complaints about the election and the results, so anyone looking to read politics, head on over, he's a pretty passionate guy.

As always, more later.

-L

Hahahahahahaha

Is Fox News the biggest joke on television or what? Isn't this the same network that preaches that it is non-partisan? Looks like itmight be a week or more before we get an official announcement. You'd think there would be a much faster way to do this.

Add all that to the list of reasons I don't vote, plus those election lines, good grief. Also, I'm in the South, so it's Republican country...not that I'm Democratic, I think both parties are tremendously flawed. The two party system is ridiculous, too. You're choosing a country's leader and you've basically only got two choices? Idiotic.

I'm going to bed, but you guys feel free to watch this horse race.

-L

The Election Day List

Plus a few other things I'm gonna talk about....

First, the DVD's:

Ali G Indahouse: The Movie

Huh? Who the hell okayed this? Some people find this guy hilarious, but even when I can understand what he's saying, I don't think it's funny.

Animal Farm (Criterion Collection)

Couldn't aski for a more timely release of a film, and we get the Criterion mark, which is one of the very best.

Around The World In 80 Days

Jackie Chan remake that didn't do so hot at the box office. Also marks what could be the last movie appearence of the Governator. I doubt that, but you never know.

Looney Tunes: Golden Collection Volume 2

A must own.

Mutant X: Season 1 Set

Wow, the finally release a set instead of the two episode discs they've been using to steal people's cash. Too bad the show is sub-par...to put it nicely.

Philadelphia (Widescreen Anniversary Edition)

One of the best films ever made, good to see it getting some special treatment.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Special Edition)

Dammit. DVD's have become the gimmick of the century. In the 90's we had polybagged shiny coated uber limited (to only 50,000,000!!!!) comic books, now we have DVD's. It's getting pretty damned old. Still, good for those of you who haven't purchased it yet. Go wild, it's worth the cash.

Shrek 2

This actually doesn't come out til Friday. And it's really not that good.

Star Trek The Original Series: Season Two

I'm sure some guy somewhere just orgasmed in his pants.

That's it for the DVD's.

Okay, voting...

For those that did, good for you, hope it rocked your socks. Can't wait to see which knucklehead gets elected. I still don't get this "lesser of two evils" decision everyone's in a such a rush to make. But, hey, whatever. I didn't vote, and if I had I would have written myself in for President, because the other choices are just dumb.

TV...

NBC's Father of the Pride has been pretty much been canned. They're gonna air the remaining six episodes starting next month, then, unless a miracle happens, that's it. Not many animated shows have been able to last long, and this one is probably deserving of a quick death. It had flashes of greatnness, but nothing ever seemed to click for it.

Angel...

I'm almost through with the first season, and color me somewhat impressed. The writing has taken a turn for the better, and I'm finding the episodes that tie in to the buffy universe are actually the best. Still have a great dislike for Gellar, but her episode with Angel (the forgotten day, the fans will know what I'm talking about) was solid stuff, and the two parter with Faith is nothing short of excellent. There are still moments where the writing seems a bit over the top ("It was rude, let's kill it."), but it's growing on me. It was a shame that Doyle left the show, and even worse that the actor died, but Wesley is brilliant. Still can't stand Coirdelia though.

Smallville...

Mr. Mxyzpltk is headed to the show (Yeah, I'm sure I spelled it wrong, but I really don't care.) and I couldn't be happier. It's great to see more and more people being incorporated into the Smallville universe from the DCU. The Flash (or Impulse, I guess) episode has been one of the strongest episodes this season, can't wait to see more stuff like it.

Movies...

Watched Mean Girls. Good stuff. Some of it I didn't get, but I'm a guy, so that's to be expected I suppose.

Reviews...

My first CBG review should be up soon. Big thanks to ADD for giving a guy a chance to prove himself.

Time to go wait and see who got elected. More later.

-L