Lockdown, Pt. 4 - TV, Moving Pictures, and Streaming Services

Day 24234092740974:  I keep staring at the dog.  The dog keeps staring at me.  He looks hot; he's a hot dog.  He runs again.  I chase him.


TV and Movies (and Services/Apps)

I have Roku, so those of you with inferior set-top services might not be able to access all of these.  What's so great is that streaming offers newer and original programming as well as a wide array of older TV and classic films, which makes it easy to arrange online viewing "parties" and also participate in discussions the rest of us abandoned decades earlier.

Again, our world is becoming smaller in a cultural sense -- and that's a good thing!  At least, it can be, if we agree to make it so and keep it that way.  Let's do that -- for the children; let's do it for those fat, fucking children.

• COMET and DUST(x) are pretty great for sci-fi fans, especially if you dig Stargate (which seems to be on every time I turn on COMET, although I've also caught Sliders in the afternoon).  I have no idea what the "x" means or stands for in DUST, nor why they dropped it recently.
• Pluto's Sci-Fi is lacking (so far) but you can find Merlin, the original Being Human, Young Dracula, Robin Hood, and a lot of anime across the spectrum.  You can also set your favorites on Pluto so you don't have to scroll through the entire 250+ channels to find the ones you enjoy.  You can also catch a few of those shows on Vudu, Hulu, and Prime.
• STIRR looks cool but refuses to load on my older Roku for some reason.  I have a newer device but my modem doesn't see it and I'm afraid to troubleshoot too hard and wind-up without Internet -- I don't think they'll be sending out any techs for a while.  I hope to check out STIRR when I can.
• I have absolutely never enjoyed any Star Trek TV show and I'm sorry I haven't because there are a lot of them.  I liked a couple of those movies, though.
• The Big Short (Pluto TV) -- All you really need to know about the current, and past, financial issues facing the US and the larger world.
• Impossible Peace: The Time Between World Wars (Pluto History, Prime)
• Republic of Doyle (Prime, Tubi, Vudu) -- Simply one of the best shows there is, in the vein of the early seasons of Burn Notice and Moonlighting.
• Bosch (Prime) -- Since it premiered, Bosch has gotten progressively better with each season.  In fact, the first season is hardly representative of the series; it's a straight, by-the-numbers procedural that plays kind of dry.  But, stick with it!  Bosch returns in spades, becoming one of the best original shows on any streaming service.
• Letterkenny (Hulu) -- Unapologetically Canadian, and that's what I appreciates about it.

All of this has probably changed, since I wrote it three years prior and never got the chance to publish it.  In fact, Hulu no longer even works on Roku I, so I was forced to upgrade my bedroom setup (which was also affected by unwanted visitors...).  But, I'm strapped for content and have been afk for a minute, so take it for whatever it's worth and I'll try to find stuff to talk about soon.

I've taken to eating sugary breakfast cereals by the fistful, right out of the goddamn box.  I hang out in front of small town grocery stores, smoking and mocking your fat-ass children.  I just jam it right into the front of the mask because fuck it; breakin' teeth in this motherfucker.  Everything tastes like cotton.

© The Weirding, 2023

 

Pretty Deadly: The Rat #1

Pretty Deadly: The Rat #1

© The Weirding, 2019

Hollywood Democrats' Sustained Mob Attack on the Mentally Ill

No apologies, rapists.

© The Weirding, 2018

Is One Harsh Critic

I'm kind of tired of being blamed for others' shoddy work -- not just as a critic, but as an audience member. Time and again over the last several years, stars, creators, and insiders have blamed critics and audiences for their failures, and there's literally no truth to it. No one listens to the "obsessed, virgin fanboys that live in their moms' basements" who actually appreciate their product; they listen to Million Mommy Madness and fucking Wonkette -- people who will never buy their product, and don't know the first thing about the industry!

I am a harsh critic, or at least I can be, and I've no need to apologize for that. For the record, I always try to find at least one good thing to say about everything I review -- and that's nowhere near as easy as it sounds. I don't even have to do that! As a creator, I know how difficult it can be to release a project to an often unappreciative public, but it is not my place as a critic to blindly promote your work, and it is not my place as an audience member to blindly support your desire to work in the industry.

The last decade or more has brought the viewing public nothing but facile blockbusters; endless, unwanted reboots and remakes; subpar, massive, endless crossover events; bland, soulless, pop music; humorless attempts at sit-coms designed not to amuse, but to avoid the consternation of special interest groups and Internet trolls; and 30 or 40 CSI and Law and Order spinoffs; as well as a plethora of excuses as to why they don't work. It's an insult.

Where are all the Spenser: For Hires, the Hunters, the Designing Womens, the Charmeds, the Buffy: The Vampire Slayers, the TNT MonsterVisions? Where are the summer teenage sex romps; the mad slasher SFX-fests; the multi-generational, romantic epics; the Fight Clubs and Goodfellas? Can you make a single comedy that doesn't feature Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, or Melissa McCarthy? Can you make a blockbuster that isn't either a remake, reboot, or caped crusader rock-em-sock-em? Can we have some Goddamn variety -- and can you be bothered to make it worth viewing?

All the industry does anymore is rehash formulaic horseshit, then shove it down our collective throat with aggressive, offensive PR campaigns that accuse us of being cynical bigots if we dare not to enjoy it -- "The best thing you're not watching!" Or they turn it into some bullshit political cause that's "too important not to discuss," and "is not to be missed!" Or, and this is my very favorite, they portray it as a personal attack on one or more of the creators or participants.

Fuck you.

Even if a product stinks -- I mean, just reeks-up the place -- my job as a critic is to pay it my full attention. I have to deconstruct it to find out why it doesn't work, what could have been done to make it work, and -- as I stated above -- at least one thing about it that isn't just God-awful. Sure, I'm snarky and often mocking, but if you would like to spend four or five hours a day sifting through mostly bad work, then another two or three hours discussing it without losing your fucking mind, I invite you to show me how it's done!

I was snarky and mocking long before I became a critic, and running me off of social media or out of the industry isn't going to change the fact that you're churning-out and promoting bad product to ever-diminishing numbers that don't want it. And all the free lunches, cocaine, and blowjobs in the world won't fix that.

Readership is down, viewership is down, subscriptions are down, attendance is down -- across the boards -- and this is not the fault of any critic, nor the fault of "The Internet," nor the audiences'; the general consensus is that the brunt of mainstream entertainment these days is lacking. But, instead of accepting accountability and trying to make better product, the industry at-large has doubled-down on latching onto silly fads, using promotional stunts and gimmicks, and blaming everyone else for their failures. Even if I decide to use my little outlet here as some kind of bully pulpit, I don't have ¹/₁₀^th the reach of the large corporations or average celebrity, so no one's pulling your shows or canceling your titles based on my recommendation -- if they aren't succeeding, it's because they are not that good, or it just isn't a product the public wants at that time.

I haven't even bothered writing reviews in the last few years because it got to be too depressing! It became more and more difficult to find something positive to say about every piece, and I don't get many promotional products. Comics cost $4.00 each, the average theater ticket costs $8.50. For the price of two comic books, or a theater ticket for one movie on the big screen, I can afford Netflix or Hulu for an entire month. If a comic book doesn't just blow me away, I've wasted half a month's worth of viewing entertainment finances -- and that comic book wasted my time. I don't have to make excuses for why it didn't blow me away, and I don't have to "support" the people who worked on it just because they want to be in the industry. I'd like to be a billionaire, but that doesn't mean I deserve to be, and it doesn't mean that you (nor anyone else) has to make that happen.

(Ignore that; I do deserve to be a billionaire, and it is your responsibility to make that happen.)

For years now, the entertainment industry has chosen to appease special-interest groups to avoid controversy and keep sponsors. More recently, they've taken to courting controversy for the free publicity. And while they have always licked the boots of fresh, "hot" talent, they've now begun pandering to the lowest common denominator, who -- almost universally -- do not subscribe to, listen to, view, or patronage the industry in any way. To combat losses in audience, they have steadily raised the price of admission. What they have not done is focus on making better product for the actual fans. They have created a hostile environment both online, and within the industry, filled with blame and accusations and victimhood. If my attitude has become tainted by this along the way, they've no one to blame but themselves.

The entire PR campaign for the Ghostbusters remake was literally, "If you don't go see this movie, you hate women!" When, in fact, no one wanted a Ghostbusters remake -- not with an all-male cast, not with an all-female cast, not with an all-black cast, not with a cast of puppets -- not at all. Resorting to offending and browbeating half of the prospective viewing audience before the film even premiered is about as low as it gets. The movie still failed -- it failed with male audiences, it failed with female audiences, it failed with critics -- because it was a bad movie that no one wanted!

They began by insulting male movie-goers and over-hyping the product. They created an antagonistic environment of mostly non-fans who trolled every message board, blog, and social media platform, accusing everyone of not "supporting" their endeavor because we're all bigots of one kind or another. Then, despite the fact that the product was bad to begin with, it's all our fault for not both paying an inflated price to see, and pretending to enjoy, a shit sandwich that no one wanted and no one could relate to. That is the very height of bitterness and cynicism.

Given that approach, I can't believe anyone in the industry thought Ghostbusters was going to work in the first place, so I'm not going to hold back when it comes to reviewing it (I'm not going to review it). They knew it was a shit script, so they resorted to stuntcasting to try and save it before they lost the rights. When cinephiles ("rabid fanboys who live in their moms' basements," of course) saw that for the gimmick it is, they started publicly shaming them, and recruited others to pile-on as some kind of "social cause."

Goddammit, I liked Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust -- unironically! It was stupid, silly, completely over-the-top, and I'm reasonably certain almost everyone involved has done porn. But it was the most entertaining hour and 10 minutes of a movie I've seen without a RiffTrax in the last 10 years. And it was written and directed by a woman! In fact, despite the Internet myth the media scum have perpetuated for the last several years, women constitute a significant portion of the entertainment industry -- in all positions. And if I were one of those women, I'd be pretty pissed-off that it's you "social justice warriors," "activist mommy bloggers," sensationalistic clickbaiters, and wanna-bes who fail to appreciate, or even acknowledge, their contributions -- not the critics, not the reviewers, and not the fanboys.

Cyberbullying audiences and critics into both purchasing and "liking" sub-quality work has become the standard promotional tack for the entertainment industry, as a whole. And, if that doesn't work, they discredit, belittle, or silence us through veiled threats, DDoS attacks, intimidation, harassment, spam comments, and gangstalking.

An underwhelming product is one thing, but being trolled into purchasing it, then harassed into giving it a positive spin -- at the risk of being attacked and blamed for it and/or the creators' failure, if I do not -- makes me angry. And justifiably so. You shouldn't feel the need to guilt-trip me, or even kiss my ass, just to get a positive (or not "harsh") critique. I don't want free product, or gifts, or money (I would not turn down any of those things); I want you to make product that I enjoy -- that makes me want to encourage others to seek it out, and hopefully enjoy it, as well. And, by reviewing your product, I'm literally telling you what does and does not work. If you choose to ignore that advice, that's fine!

I don't have to mention you or your fucking product; I can let it slide right into the slush pile of obscurity, where it most likely belongs and usually winds up anyway. I don't work for you, and you don't pay me. You don't "deserve" a job in the industry just because you really want one, and if you force your way in by stepping on and disrespecting others, you deserve to be forced-out.

And I no longer feel the need, nor the desire, to attempt to approach that -- nor any of you -- in a reasonable manner, because you're just trolling us. No matter how reasonable we try to be, every attempt at discussion quickly devolves into an irrational exchange of personal insults and baseless accusations of racism, sexism, bigotry, victimization, and plain old nastiness. And this is the environment you have fostered -- or, at the very least, sat back and ate popcorn while watching it take hold -- to exploit.

Years ago, you had a point with the "rabid fanboys" bit. A lot of people got out-of-hand, and I'm sure I was one of them -- at least sometimes. But things have changed, and it's now the non-fans -- many of whom are female and/or lay claim to spreading "social justice" -- who are terrorizing the Web, and your audiences. It's not our fault that young, white males overwhelmingly constitute the comics-buying audience, or that the vaunted 18-36 age group no longer watches TV. And, if you can't create product that appeals to other demographics, then shaming, bullying, and destroying the only demographic to which you do still appeal is a really, fucking stupid tactic. That's what has brought entertainment to its knees, and I know you know it.

It is not my fault for not liking mediocre product or creators -- nor is it the fault of the public. You failed -- or the company failed, or the network, or the publicity campaign, or whatever else went wrong -- and it isn't my fault for pointing that out. In fact, that's my fucking job! And the only thing I can say in that regard is that, if certain people find my criticism overly "harsh" or too "negative," then at least one of us is actually doing their job.

You don't deserve to get paid for wasting our fucking time, and we don't deserve to have interlopers stalking us just to shit on us and the things we love. Fire your hack, PR "social media experts" and learn what the fuck you're doing, or find work elsewhere.

© The Weirding, 2016

The Weirding Presents Sorority House Massacre 2

Sorry we went dark last week although, in fairness, we're known to get pretty fucking dark nearly every week.  I've face all new computer problems which were much like most of the (old) recent computer problems: I'm forced to buy refurbished PCs that tend to have rather short shelf-lives.

Anyway, we're back to our usual tricks this week. And, speaking of "tricks" (told you we were dark), this week we're watching Sorority House Massacre 2 directed by the infamous Jim Wynorksi, aka Popatopolis. So, titties are bound to be afoot -- I mean, they're still titties, but...

Follow the links for more information on time and date (same as always, although the time has recently changed) and be sure to watch us LIVE as we skewer this unscreened film IRT.

© The Weirding, 2014

The Weirding Presents Sorority House Massacre

This weekend, we are taking a gander at the cult slasher classic, Sorority House Massacre. This movie is very important to film history because it was directed BY A GIRL!

Icky!

Once again, we will be viewing this on the pay-site, Netflix. You may not have heard of Netflix but that would be super-weird.

© The Weirding, 2014

Sleepaway Camp 3, Commenting Error

Here is the link to last night's mockery of Sleepaway Camp 3. I tried to post it in the comments of the earlier posts but the Comments STILL aren't working. It's only been like six months, so I can't really blame Google. After all, it takes a LAWT of time and effort to bribe politicians and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time to actually do things like "their motherfucking job."

And, let's be honest, they'd fuck it up anyway.

I may try changing the template at some point but it takes a LAWT of work to jerk-off and play World of Warcraft all day and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time to actually do things like "give a shit."

Enjoy.

© The Weirding, 2014

The Weirding Presents Sleepaway Camp 3

Last weekend's riff was such a phenomenal success (excepting gratuitous commercial breaks) that we decided to tackle the next installment in the Sleepaway Camp series this week.

Sleepaway Camp 3 will also be the first time we've used Netflix, so if you do not have a subscription, it's 2014 and less than $10 per month, Luddite. The showtime is also changing from 9:00pm to 9:30pm CST and this will be the new time, so be sure to update your... Rolodex? Or whatever.

As always, you can watch along LIVE or catch it later once it's posted to The Weirding YouTube Channel.

© The Weirding, 2014

The Weirding's Midnight Movie, Hosted by Manodogs, is Croczilla

Croczilla - The Weirding's Midnight Movie

You read that correctly:

Tonight's Midnight Movie is the excellent Croczilla, hosted by none other than yours truly. You can check it out tonight at Midnight LIVE on The Weirding YouTube Channel or watch the recorded video later.

We do not provide the movie; the movie is provided by another website we generally refer to as the "distributor." Netflix, Amazon [Prime], Hulu+ - these are all "distributors." You watch the movie and listen to the commentary at the same time, usually in separate windows so you can see both simultaneously. Although I occasionally mug the camera or make some goofy physical comedic gestures, if you can't actually watch both at the same time, just minimize us and watch the movie - that way you will still hear the commentary.

We provide a Countdown (aka, The Infamous Countdown) at the start of the movie, as well as a Timestamp reference at various intervals along the way so you can stay in synch with the host. If you get too far out of synch, just FF or rewind or whatever, otherwise the running commentary probably won't make a whole lot of sense. Also, I am not MiSTying Croczilla; I am hosting it, not mocking it.

If you wish to actually participate in the commentary - that is, join the Google Hangout and comment on the movie along with us (me specifically but you never know who might show up), Skype us at The.Weirding and we'll vet you. If you get act a complete ass (and not in the entertaining way), we'll just drop you and maybe even ban/block you, so... you just sit there and think about that.

Midnight. Croczilla. The Weirding YouTube Channel.

© The Weirding, 2014

Playlists, Embedded Video, and The Weirding Media

If you follow The Weirding @ Facebook, you know we post a lot of links to various movies, videos, and TV shows. This, for now, constitutes "programming." When it comes to music videos in particular, I learned a while back that creating Playlists was a great way to go. In this fashion, listeners are welcome to follow along and pick and choose the songs they want to hear, or they can just hit "Play" on any of the videos and start rocking-out on the entire Playlist from there.

When it comes to TV/Movies, I can't say and haven't made up my mind as of yet. While I like the idea of Playlists, the truth is that few of them are on YouTube. I can make "Watchlists" on Crackle but they won't include the Playlist I made on Hulu - or even the Hulu videos to which I link!

So I'm checking out the technologies available to me for doing this thing. I'm pretty sure there's a built-in way to make FireFox Playlists - a way to list URLs across any number of sites that will be visited, one after the next. I may have to put them on a timer... or I may just have to learn more about embedding videos and change the way in which I am presently doing this.

In the meantime, be sure to at least visit our little FB page, check out the multimedia fare we're sharing, and leave a comment or two along the way!

© The Weirding, 2014

RIP Jeff Hanneman, Guitarist for Slayer

Slayer just announced that founding member, guitarist, and songwriter Jeff Hanneman passed away around 11am today. He was in the hospital when his liver failed. Details are sketchy right this moment - I do not know why he was at the hospital to begin with, nor much of anything else - I only know that Jeff Hanneman has died at age 49.

He had not played with the band in about two years and recently fought a case of necrotising fascitis brought upon by a spider bite. Conflicting reports surfaced earlier this year, with some saying Hanneman would return to the band and others reporting that he might not return.

Slayer remains one of my favorite bands to this day. Their impact upon me, both as a musician and artist otherwise, cannot be exaggerated. I will definitely follow-up this post with a more proper eulogy once more is known.

Suffice it to say, our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Tales from a Failed Musician

Over the weekend, my parents and some friends of theirs came over for a night. My dad and his friend play music together and my father had told his friend how well I played the drums, so the guy and I talked a bit about that. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has been tweeting suggestions to up and coming wannabe rap artists. So I had a few drinks and got on YouTube, where I checked out some videos of amateurs playing. And it all got me thinking...

Now I originally tweeted some of these ideas, but I'd been drinking, had at least 1000 things to say, and only 140 characters in which to say it. Luckily, I have this blog, so I figured I'd expound on some of it in a little more detail.

But keep in mind, I'm no Chuck D. Most importantly, I ultimately failed. In my defense, I was just a kid and I had absolutely no idea about the business or what it takes to make it there. It goes without saying that I'd do basically everything differently if I had it all to do over again. So some of this is going to be stuff I remember, some of it is stuff I've heard or was told, and some of it is what I'd suggest doing if you're serious about making money in the music business.

Further, I haven't actively played in nearly 10 years; the last time I played out was 2003. Almost everything about the biz has changed since I was actively trying to make a career out of death metal - a whole lot has changed in just the 10 years since I last played! So keep all of this in mind and temper everything I say by it.

I played extreme music - specifically, I played death metal, but I also did some rap, punk/hardcore, and experimental/progressive stuff - so everything I'm saying comes from that position. If you're looking to do a cover band, play pop or mainstream music, or become a celebrity, you can probably dismiss almost all of this because your path is going to be very different.
Over the years, I played with a lot of incredibly talented musicians - guys who would literally make your jaw drop open. One of my best friends in highschool was also one of the most amazing guitarists I've ever heard to this day. By 16, he could play everything Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix ever did. Most days after school, he would bring me home and we would play Slayer, Metallica, Rush, and whatever else we were listening to at the time. Again, he was 15-16 and I was about 13.

Here's how good this guy was: The solo for "Castles Made of Sand" was recorded, then run backward for the track. My friend did not know this, so he learned the solo - the solo that was recorded then played backward over the track - as it was on the record. (I think the song was "Castles Made of Sand" - I could be wrong.)

To this day, he has not "made it."

He's probably one of the best I've ever known, but I played with a host of great musicians over the years. None of them have ever "made it." I know at least three or four people right offhand that could stand toe-to-toe with just about any professional musician you can name but not one who is supporting himself through music alone today. Several of them still play music, some even make money doing so, but they all have other, more stable and traditional, occupations. Many of them could have but chose not to - because they didn't want to "sell out."

The first mistake we made is the same one almost every kid playing extreme music makes: We weren't in it for the money and we weren't about to "sell out." On the surface, it sounds like we had integrity - and we most certainly did - but unless you want to play music on the side, you need to be concerned with making money from your music. When you write three demos full of blazing speed metal screaming about the devil and build a following from that, then tone down your music and eliminate all mention of Satan on your first studio album, you sold out. Go listen to everything Metallica ever did before the Black Album, then listen to the Black Album; that is selling out.

Playing in a cover band on the weeknights isn't "selling out," it's a job. It's a lot more fun than working at McDonald's but it's still just a job. Playing backup for Linda Ronstadt isn't selling out, it's a job. Simply put, you can't call all the shots if you want to work in the music industry; you will have to learn to compromise and probably sometimes play music you don't really care about or even like. If you want to keep a full-time job until you "make it," I suggest you get really good at your full-time job; if you want to support yourself playing music, you are going to have to learn to play music other than the stuff you write or enjoy.

I don't know much about it anymore, but I remember you used to need your ASCAP to work good gigs. I'm not even sure what all it does but I think it protects you from not getting paid, for one thing. We'll talk about that at some point but for now, just know that ASCAP is basically the working musician's union. Used to be, you had to have performed in public at least twice, then your ASCAP cost like $25. This isn't meant to be a tutorial - just me talking about this stuff - so I'm not looking it all up, but you should be able to find out more about ASCAP online.

Some people choose to work in the music industry tangentially as their full-time job and that's pretty clever. No, they may not be exactly "working musicians" - that is, they aren't supporting themselves solely by playing music - but they are ensconced in the business all day long just by being near it. They work in music stores, studios, bars/clubs, etc. They also get discounts on instruments, discounts on recording/mixing time, opportunities for paying gigs before they go public, they get to meet a lot of people in the business, and so on. Furthermore, having jobs like these comes in handy when you need to take some time off to tour or record or promote a project.

If you've read this far, you may be getting the impression that I don't believe you can support yourself financially playing extreme music alone. That's exactly the impression I mean to impart; I don't believe you can make a living wage playing only extreme music. I believe you can work your way up to doing that - honestly, I don't even know that you could do that these days but there was a time when you could - but you're going to have to take a different path. I think the only way you could do that is with a stable band/crew and you'll have to establish that outfit's name, image, music, and so forth. If you are looking to make a living playing music, the fact of the matter is that extreme music simply isn't in high enough demand to facilitate that.

I'll talk about studios, playing gigs, and more in other posts, but there's a lot to working in music. I don't know even half of it; like I say, we were just kids when we decided we were going to become career musicians and this was 20 years ago. We hadn't the first idea as to how to actually go about doing anything professionally and everything I know about anything has to be tempered by that. Needless to say, posting a video of yourself playing along to your favorite records is about as productive as we ever got... and none of us are supporting ourselves through music alone today.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Slacking

I haven't done much of anything in days now because I bought Sims 3. I talk about playing the Sims all the time, but I have been playing the original - for going on 10 years now. I have the expansion packs for Vacation and Makin' Magic, and just installed them on the current game (on the 98 machine) a few weeks back, but I haven't been playing with them; I've been playing the original Sims for going on 10 years now (since 2003-04). Even after all that time, the game still entertains the living hell out of me.

Still, 10 years is a long time to do anything, and I decided it was time to upgrade my entertainment selection. So on Thursday or Friday, I loaded up Steam, looked up my game, and purchased Sims 3. There were some patches and general problems at first, but I got it going. Then I "poopsocked" it.

According to a gamer friend, "poop-socking" is when you play a game so much, you take breaks only to poop in your sock (because you don't have time to get all the way to the bathroom). I played Sims 3 for the entire weekend, logging what has to have been 50-60 hours on it. One of my Sims has already grown old and died and the other is Elderly and has only a few days left. They both met their Lifetime Achievements, owned half the town, and the one still living now owns the mansion of the town.

I have a lot of stuff to get to you, but I must admit that I am entranced by my new game. The newness will wear-off eventually, but I am enjoying myself and I don't have many opportunities to do that. Unfortunately, few comic books have managed to excite me as much as Sims 3 does, at least lately. I know Siege really stripped the whole thing bare for me and things just haven't been the same since. Again, this too shall pass, but if comics ever go all-digital, I won't be collecting them anymore. How would you even collect digital anything?

Anyway, if things get slow here and there, I really am probably gaming. We are still doing Chill every month or so via Google Hangouts and that's been going very well, too. After over five years of basically no communication with the outside world and no entertainment beyond comics and TV, I finally have something to do and I'm going to take advantage of it!

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Sinead O'Connor's Marriage Lasts 18 Days

Singer Sinead O'Connor ended her marriage after only 18 days, citing problems with the groom's family and friends. She claims some parties close to the groom had made his life harder after the marriage, making him terrible unhappy, so she decided to end it. She posted about the divorce herself.

Kim Kardashian recently famously ended a marriage after fewer than 50 days, drawing fire for what some say was a staged romance. However, O'Connor's whirlwind romance sounds a little more down to earth for the celebrity realm, which is notorious for its short marriages.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Morning News

I'm big on ritual - and no, this is not some subversive take on religion or anything; I mean that I am big on having a set routine(s) and following it. I vary it from time to time, but what happens most often is that I end up missing my routine or getting away from it a few times in a row and it all falls apart.

My morning routine is one of those which comes and goes, but one that I really enjoy when I can stick with it. I make my coffee and often wash at least a few dishes while it brews, and I have to have a cup with my first cigarette. During this time, I like to listen to the morning news via NPR (National Public Radio). I listen to the Nashville stream, or KCRW (All News collected from several sources, including the BBC). After an hour or so of that, I turn on Hulu's The Morning After and set it to autoplay. After the roughly five-minute show, it usually plays The Colbert Report or Jimmy Fallon and I let it.

I use WinAmp for the radio stations. Inside of it is ShoutCast Radio, where you can find many more stations, both talk and music. There are more links to cool stuff on the Entertainment page.

So, that's my morning routine and I thought I'd share it with you for the links, if nothing else. Working from home is far less structured than it should be most of the time, and that's great because it allows you to be flexible and handle things people in more structured environments would find taxing, but I like routines and I try to keep-up with them.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Showtime, Starz Pull Programming from Netflix Instant

Shortly after Netflix announced that it is developing original programming, both Showtime and Starz announced that they are changing the availability of their programming on the website's Instant service. Showtime pulled all of its original content, and Starz announced that it would delay its original programming from streaming on Netflix Instant for up to 90 days after airing.

Starting this summer, all of Showtime's current programs will be removed from Netflix Instant, but canceled series will remain available. Showtime launched its own streaming service, Showtime Anytime, last fall. Netflix' contract with Starz is set for renegotiation next year, and the network said it plans to delay movies 90 days, as well.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Bluewater's 10th Muse Headed to TV

10th Muse

The 10^th Muse, the cornerstone property from comic book publisher Bluewater Productions, was recently optioned by Vanquish Motion Pictures to turn the eponymous hero into a television series.

The 10^th Muse is the long-running comic book and graphic novel series which tells the story of a young law intern imbued with the essence of the Greek mythological goddess of justice.

"We're going to sink our teeth into Darren's treasurechest of storylines and spin them into a show that kicks ass, with all the mystery and action the fans would expect," said VMP head Jay Douglas, who is set to executive-produce the series with partner Nav Gupta, Marc Manus, and Bluewater’s Darren Davis.

According to Vanquish Motion Pictures, the series will revolve around a group of budding law students starting a prestigious internship at the San Francisco's DA's office. At the heart is Emma Sonnet, who recently disappeared for a month in Greece and returns with no memory of her missing days. What she does come back with is a strange new gift, which drives her to pursue justice even to the point of bending or breaking the law she’s devoted to serving. As Emma discovers her connection to the nine Greek Muses of antiquity, the underlying mystery of her power unfolds. Emma is the Muse of Justice – the 10^th Muse.

Jennifer Quintenez, a TV writer with a background in comics, is writing the pilot. Quintenez' TV experience includes episodics for Twentieth Television, as well as a WGA award for her original pilot, "Thrall."

"I'm really excited to dive into this world that Darren Davis has created. The characters and Emma's central dilemma are rich and interesting. I think they'll prove a fantastic engine for a long-running series. I love the tension between justice and the letter of law, and look forward to playing with the ways that tension impacts Emma and her friends.”

10^th Muse debuted in November 2001 through Image Comics and soon rocketed to #6 on Diamond's Top 100 beating out several well-known and established titles. The issue featured a story by revered comic book legend Marv Wolfman. In the years since, 10^th Muse has appeared in several mini-series and graphic novels -- most recently, she inspired a collection of crossover stories with characters from other publishing companies.

"You never forget your first love," said Bluewater president and series creator Davis. "10^th Muse is iconic for Bluewater and for me, personally. I cannot wait to turn on the TV, hear the cool theme song, and know I am in for an hour-long action-adventure ride.”

Vanquish Motion Pictures is currently producing the upcoming feature DevaShard, based on the Hong Kong epic/fantasy graphic novel, with "Prince of Persia/Pirates of the Caribbean" producer, Eric McLeod, and Underworld co-creator, Kevin Grevioux. Douglas and Gupta are also producing the action/thriller, Broken Sword, based on the nostalgic globe-trotting video game with Radar Pictures.

A new 10^th Muse comic book series starts this summer. A series of graphic novels is planned for the spring.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ricky Gervais Saves the Golden Globes

And not only did no one thank Ricky Gervais, they are still crucifying him! As others have said, this is probably the stupidest "scandal" that has come about in at least... well, it's stupid. With everything that's going on in the real world, Gervais' hosting of the Golden Globes barely warrants the coverage it has received, much less the brouhaha it has caused. Gervais has even been sucked into the ongoing political debate between extremists!

Gervais' comments were hardly "roast"-worthy; as others have noted, he simply repeated gags and rumors that have been circling these very Interwebs for years now (with flair, mind you). Suggesting that two Scientologists might be closeted homosexuals wasn't even new when South Park did it... FIVE FUCKING YEARS AGO! And the most "scathing" thing he said about The Tourist was that nobody saw it, which is born-out by the box office results.

oooooo! Fuckin' edgy!

The truth is that exactly three "stars" were offended: Robert Downey, Jr.; Bruce Willis; and whoever the hell the President of the Foreign Press, or whatever, is. This "debacle" shows the world the real problem with Hollow-wood: Talent and entertainment, the very products in which this industry claims to deal, take a backseat to affluence. This is a problem throughout the entertainment industry: As someone else put it, 'It's not about who's good; it's about who's cool [amongst those in the industry].'

And "cool" is all too often determined by political or religious affiliation, who's selling tickets, who's buying tickets, and who knows whom.

All Ricky Gervais did was poke a little harmless fun at a roomful of pompous blowhards in an effort to lighten the black-tie mood. Johnny Depp certainly seemed to Get It -- as well he should -- because he knows he's talented and no matter what anyone says, he makes billion-dollar movies (and billions of dollars making movies). And I was shocked and disappointed by Steve Buscemi's reaction... but then, he plays homeless stereotypes in fucking Adam Sandler movies now. Don't let that horse get too high there, Stevie.

The Golden Globes are nothing more than glad-handing amongst Hollywood stars; a celebration of self-absorption thrown by navel-gazing narcissists and sycophants of the same. You could feed a small country with the money spent on such pointless, ugly celebrations of wealth, and the fact that at least half of the people in attendance claim to be humanitarians is exactly the kind of bullshit Gervais used to fuel his act.

I've spent years glossing-over most of Hollywood's more human foibles, as The Rundown is no gossip rag, and I was always under the impression that, regardless of their status and wealth, most people in Hollywood are exactly that: People.

The 2011 Golden Globes proved me wrong.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Power Publicist Slain Outside Home Following Premiere

Hollywood is aghast at the senseless murder of PR power player elite, Ronni Chasen. Neighbors called police after hearing shots late Monday night. Authorities discovered Chasen dead in her car, the victim of several gunshot wounds to the chest. Chasen had left the opening of Cher's new movie, Burlesque, only minutes before. At this time, police have no suspects or motive.

A reward is being offered for information.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

RIP: Edward Kean - Head Writer, Howdy Doody

85-year-old Edward Kean, former head writer of the children's classic TV show, Howdy Doody, died August 13^th from emphysema. Kean not only served as the head writer, he also wrote the Howdy Doody theme song, and is even credited with coining the word, "kowabunga."

One family friend called Kean "prolific" and said "He influenced an entire generation [Baby Boomers] through his writing." Howdy Doody aired on NBC from 1947 to 1960. Edward Kean wrote for the show for seven years, leaving in 1954.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010