Happy Halloween everyone!
I hope everyone is having a great Halloween and Halloween weekend. I finally got More Things for the Chill RPG posted. I hope you enjoy it, though there is much more to come.
This will be a weird week and I can't tell you what to expect, so just keep following along and we'll see where it takes us. I have a lot of personal projects to attend to this week, but we should be back to normal next week.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Happy Halloween
Chill Online
So we got together for the first time last night and had a blast! All we did was some character creation and general discussion, but it was a really great time. It was awesome to finally meet some of the people I've talked to and with online for the last five or six years. And Google Hangouts worked better than any of us expected.
There is still plenty of room to get in on the game, if you;re interested. We're going to play at least once a month and maybe more, depending on everyone's schedule. It isn't a very high-pressure game or anything, so if you can't make it once in a while, it won't be a problem.
Just leave a comment or e-mail if you know the address and we'll be happy to add you.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Batteries
I have another laptop now. It has no "w;" I have to copy and paste a "w" in order to type many things into it. However, the real problem is that it's a laptop with a battery that has almost no life. Literally, it lasts for about an hour regardless of the power settings.
This means I have to carry toshiba laptop ac adapters with me wherever I go and hope there is a plug in. Sometimes I get lucky, but not always. Toshiba Laptop Batteries are not that expensive, so I guess I am going to have to breakdown and buy one.
Until then, I will continue carrying my toshiba laptop adapter with me wherever I go and hope I find a place with an electrical outlet no one else is using. Like I say, I have been pretty lucky so far, but it would be so much easier with a battery that actually lasts for longer than an hour or so. And a laptop with a "w" that works!
Hearing Whispers
2012 will begin a new era for Joshua Luna of the Luna Brothers (ULTRA, GIRLS, THE SWORD). Come January, he will be making his solo debut with a new 6-issue series at Image Comics entitled WHISPERS, a comic book which will follow in the same tradition of the previous series Luna and his brother have created in the past: original stories with supernatural elements, grounded with compelling human drama.
The dark, supernatural thriller will not only showcase the creator's talents as both writer and artist for the first time, but will also raise questions of free will and explore the obsessions, addictions and urges we all have... and may not fully have control of!
"A lot of people who are familiar with my writing may not know this, but I started drawing long before I attempted to write," said Luna. "I’ve been dying to tackle the art on a comic book series for a long time, but I’ve been waiting for the right time and the right story."
WHISPERS is the suspenseful story of a mentally troubled man who is suddenly empowered with the ability to leave behind his physical body and exist in a ghost-like form, manipulating people in strange and disturbing ways. With this incredible power, will he control his demons... or discover even more?
WHISPERS #1, a 32-page full-color sci-fi comic $2.99, will be on sale in stores January 26th, and is available for order in the upcoming January issue of Previews.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
No, I Meant Action
In yet another post in my now ongoing series of posts on what's wrong with modern comics, I've noticed a total lack of action - as in movement. Everyone's yelling, fighting, or posing. No one can swing from a rope anymore without it being a major movie poster swing; no one can just plain run from one point to another without their every limb akimbo; and too few people have just plain action between them. When's the last time someone just handed another character an object - not telekinetically floated it to them or crafted some fancy web device thingy?
Everyone's posing all the time and they aren't even active poses: they're limp, bored poses that denote a sense of carelessness. As though they're all always saying, "This isn't that important," or "I have so many superpowered better things to do right now."
Motion over action!
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
If the Devil's in the Details...
Then maybe Kefauver was right about comics. Just because we have computers now that make creating ultra-detailed panels a possibility doesn't mean we have to do it. Every panel.
I read a comic book the other day from one of the Big Two and I literally couldn't follow the action. I read it and got the story and all, but I literally could not tell what was going on in any of the panels. It didn't help that the artist chose to use distinctive layouts with lots of overlapping and open panels, but I like that. It was the level of detail - the insane amount of detail - that made it impossible to figure out what was happening.
Even Art Adams, a progenitor of the cleanliness in the late 1980s, has gone the way of the McFarlane in his most recent work. I don't need to see every stitch in the fabric, every grain in the wood. All of that detracts from the story and distracts from the action.
Detail is necessary and detail is good, but ultra-detail - the level of detail we've been getting as a matter of course in most Big Two comics lately - is completely ridiculous. Maybe it's because of the reliance on computers and all that they offer, but it also seems like the artists are trying to outdo one another. At some point, it becomes nothing more than self-indulgence and the story suffers.
One of my biggest weaknesses is backgrounds - I'm just not good at them. However, there is something to be said for a lack of backgrounds, as it places all of the focus on the actual subject(s). Manga uses this technique too much, but often to good effect, and I'd like to see more of that in my comic books: Less highly-detailed backgrounds, less crosshatching, less detail all around.
My personal attempts have always included the colorist as an artist; let him handle the fine shading differences between musculature and levels of clothing - that's his job! But even if you are going to do some pencil work, learn to scale it back a bit.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Dynamism
I'll tell you what's missing from modern comic books: dynamism.
It isn't so much that the writing or art is weak - in many cases, it is not - it's that there is a lack of dynamism amongst the entire thing. Everything is but a smaller piece to a larger puzzle, so nothing can stand-out too much.
Even more than that, when you see a character flip through a panel, it's more like s/he's doing a cartwheel than dynamically dodging bullets - and a lame cartwheel, at that. A stiff-legged, crooked-armed cartwheel like an embarrassed, grown man probably ought to do cartwheels... unless he is a former Olympic athlete.
I'm tired of scaled-down everything so that we can have a "phenomenal blow-out" later down the road. Because the phenomenal is always missing these days and we're just getting the blow-outs.
The writing is weak, the art is weak, and the problem is editorial. Everything is planned and plotted down to the very last period and isn't interesting. And it's too expensive to keep waiting for that phenomenal blow-out at the end.
I don't believe that comics companies are still doing the same things they've been doing because people are buying them; I believe people are so starved for decent comic book entertainment that they have no choice but to buy the same old tired crap they've been getting. What other choice do we have?
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Boxes and Boxes of Comics
I have my comics orders set to ship after $100. This used to be weekly - if you'll remember the crankiness inspired by Siege - but because I got tired of the gimmicks and cash-sucking bullshit the publishers keep playing, it's now more like once every two or three months. For that reason, I am once again behind the times on my comics reading. (This is also why I avoid other comics blogs - I hate spoilers.)
I have had to fashion boxes from duct tape just to contain all my new comics, but I am slowly getting through them. Not reading them, mind you, just organizing them so that I can read them at some point. It's a really big job.
This is part of the fun of collecting though. Going through my comics, seeing what I have, deciding which box they are best suited for, and bagging and boarding them - this is part of the fun! However, because comic books are worth so little these days thanks to the publishers' success at devaluing them (so they can collect them into TPB instead), it's less fun than it is a job. And I, like most people, don't enjoy working as much as I enjoy things like collecting comic books.
I literally just gave-up on the X-titles. There were so many "Part 3 of 6" -type situations involving so many titles that there was no way to keep them in any semblance of order, so I just started dumping them into boxes. I have about four of them now - four boxes of nothing but unorganized X-titles I will never read. After 20+ years of collecting them, I canceled all my X-subscriptions and will not be returning.
I receive my comics already bagged. They are then placed in magazine bags according to date of shipment, so all my comics from week 2 are in the same large bag. I remove them all, tape them up, and store them singly. The exception is limited series, which I bag singly then bag into the larger carriers and tape together.
I have also used duct tape to create storage boxes from the shipping boxes. This has helped immensely and since all the comics are bagged singly, I'm not worried about damage from the tape.
Anyway, I'm literally up to my neck in comics right now, and if I come across anything really fun or interesting, I'll let you know.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Examines The Villain
There is a persistent fallacy regarding the villain in cinema in particular, but literature and fiction in general, and that is that villains think they are doing the right thing. Many will tell you that the villain always thinks he's doing the right thing - he somehow justifies it or has some moral compass which makes him feel what he is doing is logical and reasonable. This is not true.
Now many may feel that these make the most interesting, or frightening, villains, but not all villains believe they are doing the right thing. For me, the most frightening villains are those amoral characters - those without limits, without morality, without any attempt at reason.
The other most frightening villains for me are those whose backs are to the wall - the ones who have no choice but to escalate their evil. Now, in these cases, they touch upon the whole "thinks he's doing the right thing" fallacy, but I don't believe these villains think they are doing the right thing; they are doing what they have to do - and that, they may believe: "I have no choice but to do this."
These are just some thoughts I had while reviewing some of the documentaries based on horror and remarks I wanted to make regarding some of the same old saws all these docs seem to contain.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
See's Gifts
I a big on candy dishes for the holidays. I think they are the best way to share candies and treats unobtrusively and with panache and style. Sure, I will bake the occasional cookie or cake and that is all fine and good, but candy dishes, expertly located around the house, not only look beautiful and decorate the home, but offer treats without anyone having to know who got them or when.
See's is as into chocolate and candies as I am. Their entire site is dedicated to chocolate gifts and treats, as well as recipes and other great ideas. I like them so much I ordered their free print catalog just last night. If I have any questions, I can contact a representative by e-mail or by old-fashioned phone.
You do not have to order a catalog; most of See's great gifts and products are available online. Don't forget the recipes section, either. Granted, you are not going to be able to make anything as tasty and beautiful as what you can purchase, but a little of both is a great idea.
The holidays are my favorite time of the year and I tend to go all-out with decorations, cooking, and the like. See's is a great place for someone like me so, if you are even slightly into the holidays, you need to check them out!
More Things
More Things - an expansion set for ChiLL regarding Creatures of the Unknown, Items of Power, and more - is slowly becoming available online. It will be completely connected and available on Halloween. The Weirding has updated on Halloween every year since its inception and I enjoy that.
More Things has little "new" material; most of it is taken from the existing canon. However, there were a lot of typos and misinformation in those books and I'm attempting to not only correct that but add to it. It's also some of the best looking stuff I've ever done.
Best of all, it's setup to be expanded upon, so it's one of those areas I'll be adding to just whenever I can. So bookmark it, check it out from time to time, and if you've never played Mayfair's ChiLL, you really are missing-out on one of the best tabletop RPG ever written.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Halloween: Resurrection
The first time through watching Halloween Resurrection, I passed out. Now granted, I was on some heavy medication, but that really only should have made the movie better. It did not. The second time through, I dozed.
Halloween Resurrection moves more quickly than most of the others in the series, but that couldn't save a weak story - one you've seen a hundred times before in at least 100 other movies. The scares are telegraphed, the acting is passable, the direction is typical for the genre. The story has already been used in at least 1000 other films and will be used in 1000 more before it's all said and done, and the writing matches its creativity.
If I had to sum up Halloween Resurrection in one word, it would be "uninspired."
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
My Portal
Since I allowed My Yahoo! to access my Facebook data, I haven't been able to access the page. I've tried every troubleshooting step I know of to get to it without luck. So I've been forced to start searching for a new portal. Right now, I'm trying iGoogle but I don't like it, so I may switch to MSN.
We'll see how things play-out but in the meantime, I'm a bit preoccupied, as one might imagine.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Saturday Morning Cartoons
Yep, it's Saturday night now; I missed Saturday Morning Cartoons again but I'll try not to let it happen again. I went ahead and scheduled some for upcoming weeks. I also apologize for the 31 Days of Horror Movie Reviews, but this is the first time I've done anything for my birthday literally in like 10 years and I may have gone a bit overboard on it.
Anyway, I'm still reviewing movies and still have things working, they just haven't come together as neatly as I'd planned, so forgive me. This is one of the main reasons I haven't tried harder to break into the industry: I'm just not good with deadlines and never have been. Of course, knowing one's weaknesses without doing much about them is no excuse.
We'll see what we can pull out from our hat, though.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Company Coming
I have company coming in this weekend yet again, though I promise not to drink as much this time, so it's a short day for us here. We may have Saturday Morning Cartoons (if I have time to get around to them), but either way, we'll be back Monday with more horror flick reviews.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Part D
Medicare can be confusing, and lengthy. Every year, they send out large packets detailing your benefits, but they are difficult to follow. Furthermore, every company with which you work or that carries coverage for you sends out similar packets that similarly large and difficult to read. You need specific, straightforward answers in easy-to-understand language.
Well, if you want to know more about medicare part d, then you simply need to follow that link. It's clear, concise, and incredibly easy to understand. While you are there, you can sign-up to learn more about your coverage (but it is not mandatory).
Medicare Part D handles drug and prescription coverage only. If you need information about other parts of Medicare, or just in general, you will need to look elsewhere. However, this one site tells you literally everything you need to know about prescription plans and coverage.
Reviews Boy Eats Girl
Boy Eats Girl is your basic horror-rom zombie flick. Hints of Voodoo, teenaged depression, teenage love and betrayal, and so forth overshadow the whole zombie thing, but with good reason. This is a flick for teens and a shining example as to how bad taste can be done with panache. All the teen archetypes are here, from the bully to the bitch to the misunderstood and understated nerdy-type who just can't seem to win the girl.
The writing is sub-standard, but serves its purpose, and the acting is better than one might think. The direction is actually quite good and Boy Eats Girl is filled with wonderful visuals. They also don't pull any punches when it comes to the gore, though it's far more video game inspired than grounded in any vestige of reality.
Boy Eats Girl is not a brilliant movie, but a darned good one that kids 14+ will enjoy.
Recommended.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Doghouse
Whatever else you may think of Doghouse, it's a truly great movie. Yes, it pulls-out all the stops on modern cinema, but it has real heart and drive and few movies these days can say that. It not only does what it says it's going to do, it does it with flair and style and panache. I couldn't recommend Doghouse more highly.
It's a shame, and also a sign of the times, that misogynists have become conema's new "slutty female teenager," but so it is. However, this movie seeks to reclaim some of the non-PC gender-bias for which we men have forever been faulted in an over-the-top, ridiculously funny way as can be.
Most women will like it, though the vocal minority will probably despise it, and your girlfriend may eventually lose interest and leave the room - but Doghouse is a funny, irreverent, and thinly-guised social commentary on sex relations that delivers on all its promises. From deeply-placed laughs to cheap shots, it's a romp you shouldn't miss.
There are a lot of homages to othber zombie flicks, but they aren't "lifts." These are honest homages to other films in the genre that elevate the movie into its true territory: Self-awared social commentary through the lens of a horror flick. Note Evil Dead, Shaun of the Dead, and Return of the Night of the Living Dead for starters (I'm sure I missed a few, including some Gordon Herschell Lewis movies).
Doghouse gets the highest recommendation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Wolfen
Wolfen begins as a horror flick, but make no mistakes: Wolfen is not a horror flick; Wolfen is a crime procedural with a supernatural twist. Even that latter bit gets toned-down to be better explained as the product of a belief system, leaving the viewer to wonder just how much supernatural was involved in the first place.
The acting is great, the writing is average, and the direction is inspired for its time, but Wolfen fails with its horror-cum-crime story approach and forced love story. It also lacks the requisite amount of gore most people would consider for either a procedural or horror film.
Either way, Wolfen is slow-paced, slow-moving, and has less supernatural than your average episode of Barney. It actually doesn't play poorly, especially in this day and age of procedurals, but it isn't anything I can openly commit to recommending.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Prince of Darkness
Prince of Darkness is one of John Carpenter's lesser-known gems. A truly spectacular horror flick of cosmic size, Prince of Darkness starts slowly and continues to build until a crescendo about halfway through. At that point, it pulls back once again to drop a little more exposition, but continues barreling along to a phenomenal conclusion.
Prince of Darkness raises a lot of metaphysical questions - few of which have been answered by science even today. It involves basically everything you might think it does - religion, science, astrophysics, extra-terrestrial life, dream theory, time travel - you name it, and handles it all deftly and logically in a way that not only relays the story, but leaves the viewer wondering long after the movie is over.
Prince of Darkness gets the highest rating I can give.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Li'l Depressed Boy: Lonely Heart Blues
Before THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY found a home at Image Comics, S. Steven Struble built the character's story online as a popular web comic. Now Image Comics is collecting his early strips and short stories that have never seen print in THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY, VOL. 0 TP this December.
Before current series artist Sina Grace illustrated LDB's world in his carefree and deceptively simple brushwork style, many well-known artists gave the character his first experiences with life and love. THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY, VOL. 0 TP collects the work of Sam Keith, Jim Valentino, Jim Mahfood, and more in early THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY short stories, all awash in appropriate shades of blue. Grace has also contributed an all-new short story, never before seen online or in print. And it's all wrapped up in a gorgeous new cover by Lindsay Jane!
"I'll always have a soft spot for these early strips. I cut my teeth on them," said Struble. "They were a fun experiment that helped form both me as a writer and LDB as a character. On top of that, I got to work with some of my favorite artists."
Grace added: "It's an incredible honor that Image Comics continues to support the series by publishing the fantastic strips of previous LDB contributors, and showcasing some of my public displays of learning to draw. I'm hoping the new story makes up for my previous blunders."
THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY's origin story will soon be unveiled! Before disastrous road trips. Before style-points. Before Jazmin. Join LDB as he takes his first steps on his search for love!
THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY, VOL. 0 TP (OCT110459, ISBN: 978-1-60706-476-3), a 96-page full-color indie romance trade paperback for $9.99, will be on sale in stores December 7th. THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY, VOL. 1 TP (APR110424, ISBN: 978-1-60706-390-2) is on sale in stores now.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Catching-Up
So I took some time off for At-Home Con - which was a rousing success, by any measure, though very little actual gaming got done - then I got sick, and I haven't really gotten caught-up as of yet. That's why many of the press releases you are seeing are a couple weeks old. However, I'm getting them out to you as soon as I can, while still reviewing horror flicks.
There's about to be a slew of horror movie reviews because I got so far behind, but I'm not 100% we'll make it to 31 this year. I had a real good start on it this year, too... I just dropped the ball midway through. It happens and I'm not going to beat myself up over it, however I'm still watching movies and will be reviewing them for your infotainment, so kick back, sip on some Jack, and relax, Paddywacks! We'll get it all back together soon enough.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Graphicly and Image Team-Up
Graphicly, a social networking and digital distribution platform for the visual entertainment industry, announced today a partnership with Image Comics, the third largest comic book publisher in the US and the number one creator owned content publisher, to digitally supply and share their entire publishing catalog, including such hits as Walking Dead, Invincible, Savage Dragon, Chew, and many more, to be released same day as print on Graphicly.
Working with Graphicly, Image Comics will be expanding their reach on all iOS and Android platforms including Barnes & Noble’s NOOKcolor and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. As the only comic book application on Facebook, Graphicly will be making the world of Image Comics available to this growing social audience.
Image’s Facebook page will become a browseable comic store where potential readers can preview and purchase the wares while never having to leave the page. Fans can now like a new comic and share it on a friend’s wall!
"20 years ago, Image Comics changed the comic book industry and we’re excited that they’ve chosen Graphicly to help them innovate comics in the digital age." said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphicly. "Image's focus on creator owned content , making them the cutting edge publisher for creator owned titles, is perfectly aligned with Graphicly's philosophy of putting the creator first. We are excited to join them in becoming the leading cutting edge digital solution for creators."
“For years, print comics have been dependent on a single distribution network, so it's interesting to be a position to utilize a variety of different digital platforms,” said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. “As digital comics continue to become a greater concern, it's important to embrace as many different options as possible.”
Graphicly is bringing the content to the communities rather forcing the people to come to them and is dedicated to providing visual entertainment for the communities that love stories. Image Comics is a venue where creators can publish their material while maintaining creative control and the rights to the stories and characters they create, as creator-owned properties. Together Graphicly and Image are spreading the idea of the importance of good stories by world class creators.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Hack/Slash Meets Hatchet
It's old school American horror versus comic book horror hunter in this year's HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011! Two of horror comics' biggest stars, Cassie Hack and Vlad, will soon come face to face with Victor Crowley of writer/director Adam Green's cult favorite HATCHET series of films.
GUARDING THE GLOBE writer Benito Cereno has teamed up with star-in-the-making Ariel Zucker-Brull for the 48 page HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011 -- a momentous mash-up!
"As a guy who spends a lot of time researching horror movies, believe me when I say the world needed Hatchet," said Seeley. "So, from the moment I saw the movie, I was looking for a way to have Cas and Vlad meet Victor."
In the Louisiana Bayou, the murderous ghost of Victor Crowley is maiming tourists in creatively horrible ways. But in his blind murderous rampage, he may have created something worse than himself! Now, Cassie and Vlad are back in New Orleans, and it won't be long before baseball bat meets hatchet and deformed mutant meets deformed mutant!
HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011: HATCHET SLASH (Tim Seeley & Mark Englert cover: SEP110377, Aiel Zucker-Brull cover: SEP110378), a 48-page full color horror comic for $4.99, will be on sale in stores November 2nd.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Arcade Games
I have three arcade machines: Defender, Armor Attack, and Space Invaders. I was lucky; my dad and grandfather used to have a business involving arcade games. They owned a lot of the large video games and trinket machines in and around Memphis back in the 1980s, so we basically have these "leftover." If you did not grow up the way I did - and you probably did not - then you need your own arcade games and Arcade Classics have them.
If you have a business, arcade games are a great way to make a little money; for residences, they are great for children as well as adults - you can even have them personalized. There is a sense of nostalgia that comes with seeing an arcade game, at least for us old people, and owning one carries a similar sense of childish awe, as well as pride. Everyone loves video games, and even though younger people may chide you for your classic sense of style at first, they will be playing the heck out of that same video game an hour later.
I grew up with video games and am lucky enough to own a few. Most people did not and do not have their own. However, Arcade Classics makes them available and even allows for customization and personalization on licensed arcade games. Check them out!
Sesame Street YouTube Channel Hacked by Pornsters
Sesame Street's YouTube channel was hacked and replaced with pornography over the weekend. An administrator says the problem was recognized and handled within 20 minutes of the event. The channel was taken down.
The user who claimed responsibility in the porn videos and comments denied responsibility for the actions, indicating his account was also hacked by whomever replaced the Sesame Street videos. Whoever runs a second name attached to the incident has yet to confirm or deny involvement.
At the time of this writing, the Sesame Street channel is still down.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Heroes' and Star Trek's Zachary Quinto Announces He is Gay
Actor Zachary Quinto announced that he is gay this weekend. Quinto is best known for his roles as Spock in the new Star Trek film, and rose to fame as Sylar in TV's Heroes. He can now be seen in American Horror Story, where he has a recurring role as a gay ghost.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Netflix Meets the CW
Netflix and the CW reached an agreement that gives streaming users shows like Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries starting as early as tomorrow. Many of the shows will be available in January of 2012. The deal covers most of the CW's shows through the 2014-15 season with about a one year wait from the time they air on TV.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Sorry, Guys!
I got sick with a stomach virus and was down for a few days here. I'm back now though, I think. I believe the stress of company and cleaning and everything kind of got to my immune system and I picked something up. At any rate, At-Home Con went great! I'll let you know more about it later.
I'll also get back to the 31 Days of Horror movie reviews. Hey, I didn't say they'd be 31 days in a row! Well okay, so I did - whadda ya want from me? It's free!
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Interview with a Vampire
Thanks to Olga Quinn
We recently got DIRECT star Tv and I have enjoyed watching movies in the evenings before bed. The other day I watched, “Invterview with a Vampire” with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. I always heard that the movie had gotten rave reviews, but I think it came out when I was about five years old and too young to watch it. It is a great movie. It is a great period drama. Brad Pitt, the lead in the movie, describes his transition into the life of a vampire. The movie follows his life over the last two hundred years. The movie is captivating and at some points will have you on the edge of your seat. Tom Cruise plays a great villain, a different role from his usual good-guy, save the world role. Kirsten Dunst is also in the movie. She can’t be more than ten years old. I didn’t realize that she had done acting as a child. If you haven’t seen “Interview with a Vampire”, you should. It is a great way to spend a few spare hours in the evening.
Birthday Boy
Today is my 37th birthday, so I am taking the day off. Well, except for this post. And the one earlier. And maybe some on the other blogs. But, other than that, I am taking the day off. I should be back tomorrow, but I may drink a few whiskeys and Cokes tonight, so I'm not promising anything...
I hope everyone enjoys their own holiday today and thanks for reading!
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
More Reviews on the Way
I know it's "31 Days of Horror" and maybe we'll actually get to do that one day, but this is my birthday as well as a holiday and I am going to take the day off. I also wanted to note that I am refraining from posting too many reviews over the weekends because we simply don't get that many hits. It may break down to a few more than 20 days of horror, all told, but it's the thought that counts.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Prince of Darkness
Growing-up, Prince of Darkness was one of my favorite horror movies because it was one of the very few that actually scared me. Another John Carpenter classic, it never received the accolades I believe it deserves and part of that may have to do with the fact that it's so understated and has such a slow build-up. Now that this style has come into fashion, I highly recommend picking-up a copy of Prince of Darkness, turning out the lights, and settling-in for a treat.
It's almost impossible to review Prince of Darkness without a bunch of spoilers, but it's one of the Carpenter's most well-filmed movies. It's also one of his most literate. I think he decided after this one to dispense with all of the esoteric exposition and just go for the jugular, but it's really worth noting the play on Schroedinger's theory, quantum physics, and his attempt to rectify at least 1000 varied themes and concepts - from ancient astronauts to Christianity to the coming of an Antichrist to the advancement of science and more. Just keep in mind that, while we may roll our eyes at some of the concepts mentioned today, this was made back in 1987, when most of this stuff was little more than shots in the collective dark - pretty heady stuff for its time.
But don't doubt that it does move slowly. Even once the action begins, Carpenter chooses to draw it back and what should become an exercise in tension devolves into a waiting game during which we receive even more exposition and explanation. However, there are some truly horrifying scenes and more than a few scares along the way to keep you interested. It's a story movie, but a damned good one.
Prince of Darkness is an understated masterpiece from one of horror cinema's true auteurs in his prime that is not to be missed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Officer Downe: Bigger and Badder
The Badass With A Badge will return to Image Comics this December in a glorious oversized hardcover edition entitled OFFICER DOWNE: BIGGER, BETTER, BASTARD EDITION HC! Writer Joe Casey (HAUNT, DOC BIZARRE M.D.) and artist Chris Burnham (Batman, Inc.) have added bonus pages and even more pages of over-the-top sex and violence to this new edition, inviting readers to experience OFFICER DOWNE as it was meant to be experienced!
"What could be a better X-Mas gift this year than an oversized hardcover filled with sex and gore and weirdness and gore?" said Casey. "...Did I mention gore? Well, OFFICER DOWNE delivers! I hear it's Santa's favorite comicbook about a cop who won't let death or dismemberment stop him!"
"The first edition of Officer Downe sold out really quickly and I'm always being approached by fans of my Batman Incorporated stuff who are trying in vain to get their hands on it," added Burnham. "I'm super psyched that they're finally going to see our contemptible depravity in such a big classy format."
You’ve never felt “command presence” quite like this! This is the cop that’ll keep coming back for more… even from beyond the grave! As one review from Comic Book Resources explained, "Joe Casey adds the right mix of absurd situations and dialogue, while Chris Burnham’s art steals the show," and Major Spoilers put it well when they said, "This comic doesn’t just slap you in the face with it’s graphic nature; it helps you up again and slaps you back down twice as hard."
OFFICER DOWNE: BIGGER, BETTER, BASTARD EDITION HC (OCT110461, ISBN: 978-1-60706-477-0), a 96-page full-color action graphic novel for $12.99, will be on sale in stores December 7th, and will be available for order in the upcoming October issue of Previews.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews - Blades
Blades is a Troma movie that, like most of them, tries hard to please everyone in the beginning before giving-up and just being a Troma flick. It's 1/2 comedy, 1/2 horror with all the gross-out gore you'd expect from a golf course in Tromaville (Tall Grass, no doubt). I personally like Troma films, but if you do not, then you need read no further; Blades is as firmly set in Tromaville as any movie you'll see in the genre. And yes, Troma is a genre unto itself.
Like all films in the genre, Blades is difficult to understand: One moment, it's serious, the next horrific, the next comedic. It has the requisite over-the-top dialogue with cheesebal jokes firmly in-place, but Blades is actually more well-acted than most Troma films. And, despite the nature of its antagonist, also less gory. There are some accomplished shots to see, as well, but I guarantee you Blades was pitched as "Jaws on a golf course." I also think it was heavily inspired by Caddyshack.
Honestly, there just isn't much to say about Blades. It's a Troma flick - read: Exploitation - that was riding on the popularity of the above-mentioned films and even with the earnest attempt at acting and directing, it's nothing more nor less.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
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No one person has time to work all of the Internet marketing angles these days - there are simply to many outlets, all vying for our time and energy. Wpromote has the solid game plan to get you, and your site and company, where it needs to be for a reasonable price. Go to their website to learn more.
The Activity
Information has been leaking out about a mysterious new project from a pair of rising stars, writer Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, OLYMPUS, Grifter) and artist Mitch Gerads (Doctor Who, Stan Lee's Starborn). Now the duo have finally announced that their new ongoing action series will be published by Image Comics beginning in December and is titled THE ACTIVITY.
"We've been working on this since February, and we're thrilled to share it with you," said Edmondson. "Starting this December, the secrets of THE ACTIVITY will be revealed."
In THE ACTIVITY, the evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, The Intelligence Support Activity, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.
"We've been keeping this project quiet for a while now," added Gerads. "I just can't wait to blow the lid off of this whole thing!"
"It's been a real pleasure to watch Nathan develop, not just as a writer, but as a virtual fountain of ideas," enthused Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "He originally came to us with OLYMPUS, but by the time that was wrapping, he'd pitched us WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? and then followed that up THE ACTIVITY and another, still-secert project we'll be rolling out in 2012. He and Mitch make a great team, too, and I can't wait to see where they take this concept."
THE ACTIVITY #1, a 32-page full-color action adventure comic for $3.50, will be on sale in stores December 21st and will be available for order in the upcoming October issue of Previews.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews Big Trouble in Little China
I know, I know: Big Trouble in Little China doesn't need a review. Also, it isn't a straight horror flick. However, it is from horror maven, John Carpenter, and it does deal with ghosts death, and a lot of Hells. Plus, there are very few good reviews of this classic.
There's very little bad to say about Big Trouble in Little China, except that I've yet to see it in comic book form, and by that I mean even an adaptation. Jack Burton will always be an iconic character, however much a stereotype, and his tales deserve further telling - that is assuming he ever had any other tales that compare to the one in this movie (and that would be hard, though it is suggested he may have).
Yes, the dialogue is a bit cheesy, and a lot of it is exposition; Jack and Gracie's relationship - Eddie and Margo's, as well - is unrealistic; and everything moves too fast to be anything but a romp; but Big Trouble in Little China is as good as horror action movies get. It doesn't even fit firmly in that sub-genre, though.
Big Trouble in Little China was one of the last movies of its kind: One that wasn't completely focused into a narrow category meant to fulfill a specific need, or niche, and aimed at a target demographic. It's a genre-bending epic adventure story set in, and beneath, San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1980s. There are big guns, wisecracking heroes with wiser-cracking sidekicks, hot girls with shoulder pads, and neon lights. But don't write it off as a living comic book (and what would be wrong with that, anyway?).
Jack Burton is one of the few "thick" heroes. He was also one of the few true heroes - a reluctant sort who just wanted his truck and his money and to get the hell out of Dodge - not an anti-hero or total badass. Though archetypal and ultimately cardboard, he's not without his flaws. The relationships aren't as pat as they seem, and not everything works-out in the end (though it is satisfying).
Still, Big Trouble in Little China was shot on lush sets, includes scores of extras, and brought us some of the most iconic supernatural villains in pop-culture history. It's more than worth a viewing, it's worth several.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Interview with J.M. DeMatteis
The Weirding spoke to author and comic book creator, J.M. DeMatteis about all sorts of things - from piracy to his personal projects and beyond. Here is that interview.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Reviews The Rejuvenator
The Rejuvenator is nothing more than two hours' worth of "homages" to better horror and sci-fi flicks - that is to say, a complete rip-off. The Rejuvenator slakes shots from movies like The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wendigo, Evil Dead, and - of course - The Reanimator. Granted, the whole thing is trying to be The Reanimator, and that movie stole a handful of concepts and images from bad B-raters before it, but it did so with a loving touch - true homage vs. flat-out rip-off. In fact, IMdB lists it as a remake of The Wasp Woman, a 1950's sci-fi/horror flick along the lines of The Brain That Would Not Die (referenced in both Rejuvenatrix [alternate title] and Re-Animator).
However, The Rejuvenator makes up for its derivation with plenty of gore. It's well-deservedly regarded as a splatterflick and it lives up to that reputation but, if you don't care for splatterflicks, then there isn't much in Rejuvenatrix for you. Throw it into the DVD playlist with From Beyond, Evil Dead, and Reanimator for a Lovecraftian splashfest but don't expect it to hold-up to the greatness surrounding it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Airsoft
A lot of gamers enjoy a rousing game of paintball. Growing up near a military base, I met a lot of gamers and paintballers and there was quite a bit of overlap. In a certain sense, it is like LARP wargaming - there is no roleplay, but there is a lot of strategy, team-building, and action. Of course, you have to be properly equipped to avoid injury and that is why Airsoft Stores exist.
Godfather Airsoft Tactical carries all the major labels and suppliers of everything paintball - from guns to paintballs to armor and sporting outfits. It is your one-stop shopping supply place and is having a grand opening this October 15th. With great specials and sales, you can outfit your entire group or just yourself for less than ever before.
Not to mention that the holidays are fast approaching. In fact, the stores are already carrying seasonal decorations here! This is a great opportunity to stock-up on gaming supplies for those paintballers in your family and friend circles. Their professional sales team can help you find whatever it is you are looking for, even if you are unfamiliar with the sport. Plus you get free shipping on orders of $149.00 and up, so get something for everyone in one fell swoop and cross those paintballers off your list.
Reviews Funhouse
Between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist, Tobe Hooper helmed the cult classic, Funhouse - a sort-of retro-active updating of the classic dark carnival story. Funhouse is interesting as a Tobe Hooper film, but not a particularly good film.
You see his development from the tracking shots of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as the wildly off-beat, psychopathic antagonists who populate many of his movies, but Funhouse suffers from a convoluted story and lackadaisical pace. Also, like too many slashers of the same period, Funhouse introduces tons of characters and plot-points for the sole purpose of conveniently forgetting them. However, if you are a Tobe Hooper fan, you'll immediately realize how important a flick this is in his development.
The characters appear in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II (as different characters in various garb, but essentially the same archetypes if nothing else) and many of the shots and filming tricks pop-up in Poltergeist, so you can skip Funhouse if you aren't interested in this development because you've probably already seen them in the other two, superior, flicks.
But don't discount it entirely; Funhouse is a movie in and of itself and it does deliver. You just have to slug through an hour or two of setup to get that neat package.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Steam Team, Austin
While it is technically true that I smoke a lot, once smoke gets into your house it is almost impossible to get the smell out of there. I use all sorts of cleaning products and keep a neat house (occasionally), but when you come in from outside or upstairs from the basement, it smells like someone knocked over an ashtray. I don't care what smoke odor removal products austin residents use, that smell is there to stay without a professional cleaning.
And you need more than just your carpets cleaned. Smoke from a fire or simply cigarettes gets into every piece of cloth and fabric in a home. You need all of your upholstery, including furniture and curtains, cleaned thoroughly if you want to manage that smell.
Instead of tackling such a large job yourself, consider calling in experts like the Steam Team. You can find out more, including contact information, by following the links to their site. There, you will also find great household tips and hints for managing smaller chores on your own.
Get started with more information on upholstery right here: http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-cleaning-services/upholstery.shtml
Reviews Visiting Hours
Visiting Hours is a low-key horror melodrama made specifically for females. The protagonists are strong females, the lead males are William Shatner, and the antagonist is a sadistic sexist who gets-off on raping, torturing, and killing women.
I'm not giving anything away here.
All things told, Visiting Hours really isn't a bad flick, it just telegraphs its everything from the opening lines. You aren't going to find a single surprise here, unless you count the climactic gaffe, but it does a decent job of telling its story - it just doesn't bother to lay that story out so much as put it through the paces. It's your typical, 1980's, paint-by-numbers psycho-drama and there's not much else to say about that.
The acting is what makes Visiting Hours worth mentioning at all. While Shatner does his usual Shatting about, the lead (Lee Grant) is strong, and the killer is none other than Michael Ironside. All of the actresses turn in above-average performances, but it just isn't enough to push this B-grader into A-territory.
On the plus-side, Visiting Hours really is a decent slasher to watch with chicks - chicks who don't particularly like horror movies, that is. Everyone who does like a good slasher can safely move along, because there really isn't much to see here.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
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