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Contest! Win MERLIN - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON on DVD!

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After three years of peace and harmony, the future of the Camelot couldn't be brighter. But as King Arthur and his new Queen look to bring the kingdom into a bright future, the seeds of Camelot's destruction are drawing together. The evil Morgana is hiding in the darkness. As an old face returns to the castle and gains a position amongst Arthur's inner circle, Merlin must protect the king more than ever... For the new arrival is Mordred, the druid boy whose destiny is to end the king's life and bring chaos down on Camelot. But as the death song of King Uther haunts the castle and Guinevere crosses over to the dark side, both Merlin and Arthur find that their destiny is approaching...the battle of Camelot is about to reach a deadly conclusion...and nothing will ever be the same again.
And we're giving away 3 copies!

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Actor Ron Ely discusses Doc Savage, Tarzan for Warner Archive Collection

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In the late 1960s and early 70s, few actors stood as tall in their heroic roles as Ron Ely.

From television’s Tarzan to the big screen’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Ely’s 6-foot-4-inch muscular frame made the scenery cower when he stepped before a camera.

The 74-year-old actor stands just as tall today, commanding audiences with his tales of those golden days of pulp fiction on film. Warner Archive Collection has brought Ely’s best-loved roles back into the spotlight, making the classic titles available on DVD and through its new live-streaming service, Warner Archive Instant.

Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (the aforementioned Mr. Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated, articulate jungle adventurer as seen in the Tarzan films of Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Also carried over from the big screen was young actor Manuel Padilla (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River), now playing the jungle lord’s kid sidekick alongside Cheetah, the simian one.

Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure packed books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hit the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one. Ely plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).

Once reluctant to embrace his cult hero status, Ely has joined Warner Archive Collection at two major events over the past six months – at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles, and WonderCon in Anaheim – to celebrate those cherished productions of 40-plus years ago.

In addition to Ely’s starring roles, Warner Archive Collection is now offering a number of classic films and television series representative of the pulp heroes of yesteryear. Included amongst those productions are the Tarzan Collections (the most recent featuring films of the 1960s: Tarzan Goes to India, Tarzan’s Three Challenges, Tarzan and The Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River, Tarzan and the Jungle Boy) and Bomba The Jungle Boy, Volume One.

The Bomba release includes six of these rare films, which were released from 1949-51. Monogram pictures made an inspired choice when it opted to adapt the Stratemeyer Syndicate's (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift) series of books with Bomba the Jungle Boy and paired it up with Tarzan's own now grown “Boy,” Johnny Sheffield. Under the leadership of newbie producer Walter Mirisch, the series skillfully blends stock photography, imaginative scripts and teen romance to deliver A-list fun on a B-list budget (and proving to be a smash hit for the studio). Fellow former child-star Peggy Ann Garner provides for Bomba's jungle distraction in the inaugural installment, while other guests of note to be found in the first six films in the series include Allene Roberts, Donald Woods, Paul Guilfoyle, Sue England, Woody Strode, and Donna Martell. Silent-to-TV-era journeyman Ford Beebe directs all six.

But back to Mr. Ely, who took some time in conjunction with his appearance at WonderCon over Easter weekend to answer a few questions. Heed the words of Tarzan …

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PAIN AND GAIN (review)

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Hope Enters, Disappointment Prevails 

Produced by Michael Bay,
Ian Bryce, Donald De Line
Screenplay by Christopher Markus,
Stephen McFeely
Based on "Pain & Gain" by Pete Collins
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson,
Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Anthony Mackie,
Tony Shalhoub, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong

Paramount Pictures / Rated R

I became a fan of Mark Wahlberg in the late 90s when the priest who "saved" him moved into the parish that my parents attend.  Wahlberg donated money to rebuild the school gymnasium, invited busloads of kids to attend the premier of Planet of the Apes, and attended a mass or two whenever he was in town.

The result was that the neighborhood kids adored him.   Here was a guy who began life like they had and built himself into a brand.  Mark Wahlberg was showing them a different way that said hard work will reap great rewards.
 
So, I was worried when I read that he was starring in the new Michael Bay movie about gangster body builders, Pain and Gain

The movie is the story of a group of 3 personal trainers --Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson The Rock, and Anthony Mackie -- who have grown tired of watching their clients fail at the gym but win at life.


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MUD (review)

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Review by Caitlyn Thompson
Produced by Lisa Maria Falcone, 
Sarah Green, Aaron Ryder 
Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols 
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, 
Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson, 
Sam Shepard, Joe Don Baker

Lionsgate / Rated PG-13

Mud is the story of two Arkansas boys who discover a fugitive and decide to help him escape with the woman he loves. The coming-of-age film deals with brotherhood, loyalty, and the ultimate bond between men when women break them. Loss of innocence and gritted morality are portrayed authentically against the rough impoverished backdrop of the movie.

Mud is tactile, heartwarming, funny and honest – a good movie start to finish.

The young stars of Mud are Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland as Ellis and Neckbone.

They are a fantastically complimentary duo as one is sensitive, capable, and loyal, while the other is simultaneously wise beyond his years, sex-curious, and savvy. Discovering the fugitive, Mud, ignites, specifically Ellis’, journey of grappling with maturity and the worth of love and commitment.

The boy idolizes this convict who has glorified his own clearly complicated relationship (with Juniper played sorrowfully by Reese Witherspoon) and believes he can be the key to reunite them.


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WTF FRIDAY: All I'm Going to Say Is This...Adventures of Christopher Bosh in the Multiverse

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This retelling of Miami Heat's Christopher Bosh's life, via fucked-up animation, will make you question your sanity and, quite possibly, your life choices (Yes, it's that crazy...you'll probably have to watch it a few times just to make sure you aren't tripping balls on an expired batch of Froot Loops).

And you're going to want to watch this ELEVEN minute film right now considering that lawyers of Chris Bosh are threatening to tear the creator of this psychedelically aware animation (Ronnie Rivera from Bleeding Palm) a new asshole for using Bosh's likeness (I'm guessing without paying him first) and there's a good chance that it will be removed ASAP.

Enjoy.

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MY TOP 5: BEST (SERIOUS) DISASTER MOVIES

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Two disasters in one week.

One of them not too far from my home. (West, Texas is only a couple of hours up I-35 from Austin. Best kolaches in the States, I'll wager. Everyone stops there on their way to Dallas. Everyone.)

How do we move on?

How to we see things like West and the Boston Marathon bombing happen and not want to just give up?

Sure, one was accidental…but it was still man-made. (And that plant had been cited in the past for substandard conditions.) We caused these things to happen. An event that should have been a testament to human endurance ends up being about people being killed and maimed because two boys want to make a statement. A small town gets basically wiped off the map because a rich man doesn't want to spend the money to keep his fertilizer plant up to code.

We rally together. We find the bad guys. We pick up the pieces. We find a way to get on with our lives.

For me, entertainment is the best way to not get over, but move on from disasters like this. I think that's true of a lot of people. Certainly of filmmakers.

I chose disaster movies as my theme this week not to exploit these tragedies, but to actually show my support for the victims. To show that they won't be forgotten and that, most of the time, there is a happy ending…even if it's not right away. (At least one of these doesn't end particularly well, but that's life. In reality, it took many years for some of these disasters to be moved on from and society is stronger for them.)

These are all serious disaster movies. You'll find no Volcano. No "rally 'round the flag" movies. Definitely no Towering Infernos.

These movies are about the disaster and the characters, not the spectacle. (Well, one is pretty spectacle-heavy, but I still think it's serious.)

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THE BREAKING BAD China Bootleg Is Almost Worth Getting Fined For

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I know it's in poor taste to tell everyone to drop what they're doing and start searching for a copy of Break So Bad, the China bootleg of everyone's favorite drug dealer show, considering it's illegal to do so.

But seriously, how can you resist owning Season 5 (?) of what just might be the most hilarious interpretation of a man's quest to provide financial stability to his family after the terminal cancer he is suffering from eats him alive.

I don't know what's funnier, the "Oh, Well" pose on the cover (stills taken from Malcolm in the Middle...genius)or the description of the show:

 With the cancerous concern lonely man must use chemistry skill in making most potent of drugs methamphetamine. Danger and serious threat comes to man's family to bring his to life to serious impact. 

Ahh, bootlegs, you're a welcome break from the world.

Source: Neatorama

Diary of an Ereader, Part One: An Introduction

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In the latter months of 2012 I joined a quickly growing population that just five years ago barely existed: I got myself an ereader. 

As a writer and reviewer for well over a decade, I definitely got the sense -- especially when I was a bookseller for Borders handselling ereaders -- that there was this great flowing train of technology shooting by me, as everyone seemed to be getting and using ereaders, with new upgraded versions coming out every six months, and then the iPad arrived which was just better than anything else. 

And there I was standing at the station, watching this train with all these new passengers getting on, but I didn't have a ticket to this ereader train because it was too expensive.

I'm very much a hardcover or paperback or even mass market kind of guy.

I like the feel of a real book, be it a brand new hardcover that cracks open as you open it for the first time with that fresh smell. 

Or the texture of a well used thick fantasy mass market, the lines of use carved into its spine hinting at the number of times it has been read, like a form of dendochronology, which seems fitting since books originally come from trees.

 And nothing beats the discover of some dusty old tome in a used bookstore; to pick it and handle its fragility, imagining the many hands from different times that have held it, turned its pages; the many eyes that have read over its words.

So when ereaders first came out, I considered it an attack on the printed word and abhorred the idea. 


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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS This Summer By Becoming An Actual Fruit Ninja

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Summer may be a couple of months away but we all know that the moment we hit May, most of us are going to mentally check out until September or October. So why not use that time you are avoiding work and responsibility to up your warmer weather culinary skills by training to become as efficient as the fruit ninja you are about to see.

In 21 second,s this master of the knife skins and dices the Fruit of the Summer Gods as if he were Dexter taking out a child murderer and it is no less exciting to see.

And, if you start training now, you might be just as impressive when it's your turn to host some family get-together (you might even garner some praise from your parents...whom you disappoint on a regular basis).

Or, you might end up cutting off a few fingers... Either way, it'll be more interesting than listening to your Uncle try and play Stairway to Heaven for 40 minutes.

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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Deschanel

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I love The New Girl.

From the economically unrealistic loft apartment they inhabit to Schmidt's clumsy and unrequited affection for CeCe; from Nick Miller's intriguingly shaped nose and the way he moonwalks out of rooms to how Winston shouts lines when he is impassioned.

I love it.


I want to play True American and take a shower in their unisex bathroom. I want to drink beer in the afternoon on their roof and yes, I even love the Deschanel, and I want her to throw me a birthday party when it's not my birthday because I am sad and she thinks it will cheer me up.

I want her to make me a cake and sing me slightly out of tune inappropriate songs about my tangled love life or confusing job situation or how great I would look with bangs, and I want it now.

These feelings are as shocking to me as they are to you.

I didn't want to love The New Girl.


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LAWS OF NATURE: A Science Rap By Coma Niddy

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Coma Niddy is a science dude who uses hip-hop and rap to get kids into science.

Yeah, I know it sounds like it's going to be a horrible thing to sit through and you probably already have one ass cheek off the chair, but hear me out. Kids are, in fact, more likely to retain information through rhyme and song when presented with complex subjects, and, once they hear lyrics like this:

Making observations, performing mathematics/Making history and developing schematics/Quite the curious creatures that us humans are/Went from horses to cars to robots on mars

They just might be more open to learning things that will lead to better life opportunities than say, becoming star on a reality show about teenage pregnancy.

So take a listen and if you like what you hear, than subscribe to Niddy's YouTube page for more videos.

Your kids will ultimately thank you.

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Marvel Morphs To Match Multiplex

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With the release of Iron Man 3 only a week away, it’s kind of crazy to see how far we’ve come since 2008’s Iron Man.

At that time in the world of Marvel, the heroes were neck deep in the alien Skrull race in the “Secret Invasion” storyline,  Captain America’s resurrected sidekick James “Bucky” Barnes was filling in for the dead (at the time) Avenger, and Tony Stark’s relationship with some of his teammates was strained at best, having sided with the pro-registering superheroes government in Civil War.

In effect, those looking to get into the Marvel Iron Man series would need a lot of explanation before diving in, but they wouldn’t have to go too far back, especially since fans at the time could pick up Civil War if they wanted to find out why Tony Stark wasn’t playing ball with the other Marvel heroes.

They also had the option of picking up the Ultimate universe line of books, but they too were about to be involved in the much-maligned “Ultimatum” storyline that laid waste to a majority of their characters.


For those curious, Civil War was a massive storyline that involved the entirety of the Marvel Universe. After a young group of heroes accidentally kills innocents in battle, the US Government passes the "Superhuman Registration Act" , and demands that all super powered beings turn into the government.



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Blu-Ray Reviews: Disney's Mulan II, Brother Bear 2 and The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (Part 2 of 2)

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By PJ Hruschak
Disney does not have the best history when it comes to direct-to-video sequels of its big-title movies.

The hysterical Aladdin, for example, had the much less funny to-vid sequel Aladdin: The Return of Jafar which features lesser voice talent (red: not Robin Williams) and vastly inferior art quality and shoddy execution.

It was, however, successful enough to warrant a second to-vid movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, with better voice talent (read: Williams came back) and slightly improved quality. Both had the name recognition in its favor which was enough for parents to scoop up copies for their kids. And thus began the blight of Disney's straight-to-video franchise.

So, when presented with a trifecta of flicks on Blu-ray, I was a bit surprised Disney decided to bundle it's feature films with the home video sequels. It seems a bit generous considering most companies would try to use it as an upsell or second retail movie.

Maybe Disney simply realized most people would avoid these typically shorter, often sub-par movies.

Even so, in at least two cases, these to-vid movies proved to be surprisingly good additions and, for one, is even a bit better than the original.

Even better, it seems that Disney learned from that early mistake and, as often as possible, manages to retain nearly all of the voice cast members from the feature films.

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HANNIBAL: "Coquilles" S1E5 (recap)

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By Kate McKendry
(Editor's Note: NBC pulled the fourth episode, "Ceuf," domestically following the Boston and Newtown tragedies.  The episode's key plot-driven moments as part of a newly released "webseries," which can be found at the end of this post.)

Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and his dog, Winston, are walking down the middle of a road.

Two police officers show up – Graham has no recollection of getting to where he is. The officers bring him home.


Meeting with Dr. Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) early in the morning, Dr. Lecter chalks his sleepwalking up to post-traumatic stress. He tells Graham he believes that Jack Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne) manipulated him back into the field. He accuses Crawford of being the devil.

When Graham disagrees, Dr. Lecter says that when it comes to getting what he wants, Crawford is no saint.

We cut to a man scooping ice outside of a motel, watching a family go to their room. As the family walks closer to them, he envisions their heads on fire.

The motel now a crime scene, Crawford tells Graham that he needs to be prepared for what he’s about to see. Inside the room, there are two mutilated people, positioned on their knees at the corner of the bed, praying. The skin on their back has been cut off and hooked to the ceiling, giving t the appearance of angel wings. Graham establishes that the killer believes he is “transforming his victims” while Beverly Katz (Hettienne Park) establishes that he slept in the victims’ bed and threw up on the nightstand.

Graham puts himself in the killer’s position, lying on the bed. His vision reveals that the killer believes he has given the victims the gift of becoming angels and that the angels will watch over him as he sleeps.

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Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and More Return to Comics with IDW

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IDW Publishing, along with DreamWorks Classics and Bullwinkle Studios, have teamed up to bring Jay Ward’s classic characters and stories back to comics! Beginning this fall, fans will see the return of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Boris & Natasha, Snidely Whiplash, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and Dudley Do-Right, just to name a few.

In anticipation of DreamWorks Animation’s  3D comedy adventure Mr. Peabody & Sherman coming to theaters on March 7, 2014, IDW will release a comic series. ,Additionally, IDW is planning a brand-new Rocky & Bullwinkle series for early 2014 release.

While creative details have yet to be announced, there are also plans for reprints of the wealth of previously published comics based on Ward’s colorful characters.

Jay Ward’s characters and concepts are landmarks in animation storytelling, and they remain as funny and relevant as ever,” said IDW President Greg Goldstein. “The phrase ‘fan-favorite’ is often overused, but in this case, it’s well earned and justified. We’re thrilled to add these brands to our ever growing list of all-ages titles.”

At once hilarious, heart-warming, and ahead of their time, this cast of characters, first introduced by Jay Ward in 1959, have delighted generations of all ages, and needless to say, IDW can’t wait for fans to see their return to comics!

HELLBOY GETS ITTY BITTY!

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Aw Yeah Comics and Tiny Titans creators Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani take on Mike Mignola’s cast of characters in a brand-new all-ages title!

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WHAT CAUSES MORE PAIN? Giving Birth or Getting Kicked in the Balls? Science Has the Answer

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Having neither given birth nor gotten kicked in the balls (which is easy not to have done as I am a chick), I am probably not the best person to ask about which might hurt the most.

Although, I do have peripheral experience thanks to one friend who went through 30+ hours of NATURAL CHILDBIRTH (before the doctors requested that she might want to have a C-section because watching her go through that level of pain was making them nauseous) and another friend whose balls were accidentally the recipients of my pointy-toed boot when I slipped and fell on some ice (there was weeping and vomiting involved).

But between these two heart-wrenching experiences I can only say that they appeared to be equal in the pain department and I will have to rely on science to sort out the fact from the "Fiction of the Sexes" before making a judgement.

Of course, the fact that my male friend still cries when he sits down wrong leads me to believe that whole "kicked-in-the-balls" thing might be a bit worse.

Video after the break.

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Pull List: Amazon Goes To Russia, Origins of Sci-Fi Publishing, "New Adult" & More!

MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Shit Robot- Feels Real

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I have a very distinct music memory that brings with it a wave of nostalgic yearning whenever I think about it:

 I am fifteen and am properly depressed over some imagined slight by a guy from my school who I want to kiss a lot. I am laying on my bed pondering my fate in the world of teen romance by dramatically hiding my head underneath a pillow, while tears leak from the corners of my eyes. I reach my hand over to the record player next to my bed and hit the start button. An album, Sly and the Family Stone's Small Talk drops down and the needle goes deep into the groove. 

By the end of side one I am dancing in my room alone and filled with a level of joy that only comes from the thick hiss and pop of vinyl being spun in a teenage girl's bedroom when she is free to go wild because no one is looking at her.

This video from Shit Robot is a bit like that.

The song, Feels Real, is a bit more disco-inspired than say Sly's funk, but it's still catchy and dance-worthy, while the video itself is all about the music instead of being laced with clever visuals and quick-cuts.

It's a lot like laying in your room with nothing but a turn-table and the desire to have your soul filled up with beats instead of sadness.

And yes, you will dance...Just like I did

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DOCTOR WHO: “Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS” S7E11 (recap)

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By Tea Krulos







This story had a lot of appeal to me, simply because it promised to explore the interior of the TARDIS, something that has occurred only in fleeting moments in Doctor Who history.

With that premise, the plot could have all the drama of the Home Shopping Network as long as I got a proper tour.

After the TARDIS is captured by an intergalactic salvage ship, the Doctor meets its crew—the Van Baalen brothers, Gregor, Bram, and Tricky (Ashley Walters, Mark Oliver, and Jahvel Hall, respectively.) They aren’t very compelling characters but act okay as props for the story.



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