STAR WARS DOWNUNDER: A Fan Made Film That Asks The Question: What Would Happen If You Crossed 'Star Wars' With An Australian Beer Commercial?

August 23, 2013, 1:00 pm

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Star Wars Downunder is a fan-made film directed and written by Michael Cox and Bryan Meakin, which mashes together beer and the Star Wars universe in a way that makes it perfectly clear that should the precious golden liquid ever fall under the Evil Empire, I would undergo Jedi training in a heartbeat...regardless of how low my midi-chlorian count is (which I am assuming is in the negative numbers at this point).

It took the duo over ten years to create the :30 minute film (which will be released in the coming weeks) and while that kind of dedication is admirable, I am more impressed with the fact that they decided to include beer in it which, to me, is pure genius.

In fact, I think I'm kind of in love with Michael and Bryan and wouldn't be opposed to having their babies. 

Trailer after the break.

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TOP 10 Giant Monster Movies

August 23, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: COCA-COLA Israel Gives Away Free 3D Mini-Me's To Coke Fans...And Once Again Here In The US, We Get Nothing

≪ Previous: STAR WARS DOWNUNDER: A Fan Made Film That Asks The Question: What Would Happen If You Crossed 'Star Wars' With An Australian Beer Commercial?

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To celebrating passing 50 monsters covered, both good and horrendous, I thought a list of the best of the best was in order.

For this, I’ll just be going with my favorite subset of monsters: the giants or Kaiju.
 
That and with Pacific Rim out now, it seemed appropriate.

Here are the best of the best Kaiju movies.

If you want to know where Pacific Rim ranks, this is the list.

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COCA-COLA Israel Gives Away Free 3D Mini-Me's To Coke Fans...And Once Again Here In The US, We Get Nothing

August 23, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Tomorrow, August 24th, Is INTERNATIONAL COSPLAY DAY...So Suit Up People

≪ Previous: TOP 10 Giant Monster Movies

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To promote their line of mini coke bottles, Coca-Cola Israel put together a contest where fans of Coke could try and win a 3-D printed mini version of themselves (people could download an app where they would construct their own "Mini-Me" versions via different virtual outfits and backgrounds and sending the pics to Coke where the winners would be chosen).

Those winners were then put into a 360 degree scanner and a 3-D mini version of themselves popped out from the printer to their delight.

Sounds cool right?

So why don't we here in the US get shit like this? Are we only worthy of a smudgy code on the bottom of a bottle cap that we then have to go online to find out if we won something stupid?

Do you know what I would do to get a 3-D version of myself printed?

The same thing I usually do for a mixed drink...and it ain't pretty.

But I'll do it...I swear.

Video of the contest after the break.

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Tomorrow, August 24th, Is INTERNATIONAL COSPLAY DAY...So Suit Up People

August 23, 2013, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: The Ben Affleck Backlash - Reaction and Speculation of the DC Movieverse

≪ Previous: COCA-COLA Israel Gives Away Free 3D Mini-Me's To Coke Fans...And Once Again Here In The US, We Get Nothing

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I don't know what your plans are tomorrow but if you aren't already booked up with garage sales/flea markets/antiquing then why not celebrate International Cosplay Day. 

Not that I'm telling you what to do.

Events are going on around the world (Click HERE for information) so it might be a good time for you to see if you can still fit into your Cat Woman outfit. 

After the break are a couple of videos to get you psyched.

Again, not that I'm telling you what to do.

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The Ben Affleck Backlash - Reaction and Speculation of the DC Movieverse

August 23, 2013, 6:24 pm

≫ Next: That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 8/18

≪ Previous: Tomorrow, August 24th, Is INTERNATIONAL COSPLAY DAY...So Suit Up People

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I have the feeling that 24 hours ago Warner Bros. was pretty excited about their casting announcement that Ben Affleck would star opposite Henry Cavill as Batman for Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel 2 film.

Warners apparently forgot that the internet is a mass bully pulpit of bile and venom and immediately went nuts, taking to social media and even initiating a petition to the studio in a futile attempt to  break the newly signed contract because of a thousand signatures.

For some reason the reaction to Affleck's casting seemed to erase the last ten plus years of his career, assuming they cast Kevin Smith's friend who played Daredevil rather than the accomplished Academy Award winning director and ignoring his performances in such films as The Company Men, Hollywoodland, Smokin' Aces, Extract and The Town.

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That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 8/18

August 26, 2013, 6:08 pm

≫ Next: And We Are One Step Closer to Living In A STAR TREK Universe: The SIGMO VOICE TRANSLATOR Will Not Only Make Communication Easier Between People, It Might Also Make Ordering Chech'tluth In Original Klingon Less Embarrassing

≪ Previous: The Ben Affleck Backlash - Reaction and Speculation of the DC Movieverse

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Since new DVDs and Blu-rays aren't out until tomorrow, I think I snuck last week's in just under the wire.  Among the latest releases are several recent HBO releases, some cult classics, some tv and an Academy Award winning foreign film that might just break your heart.

Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.  It's that time of the week.


Amour

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / Released 8/20/13

George and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day Anne has an attack and the couple’s bond of love is severely tested.  Extras include featurette and Q & A with director Michael Haneke.

The Last Word: Winner of Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it's pretty easy to assume that Amour is good, and it is. It's also one of the most honest and heartbreaking films of recent memory. I watched my father suffer and pass away from Alzheimer's complications and Amour was the closest thing I've seen that recalls frustration, helplessness and heartbreak that results from a loved one slowly suffering. The notion of trusting a paid employee to care about someone you love with the same commitment and understanding is both the core of the film and a parallel to real life. The performances are amazing and the film resonates long after the credits roll. Highest recommendation possible. Tissues are mandatory.

Star Trek: Enterprise - Complete Second Season

Paramount / Released 8/20/13

In the 22nd century, a hundred years before James T. Kirk helmed the famous starship of the same name, Enterprise takes place in an era when interstellar travel is still in its infancy. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) has assembled a crew of brave explorers to chart the galaxy on a revolutionary spacecraft: Enterprise NX-01. As the first human beings to venture into deep space, these pioneers experience the wonder and mystery of the final frontier as they seek out new life and new civilizations. Extras include deleted scenes, commentary, cast reunion interview, featurettes, and documentary

Last Word: In many ways, the last Star Trek series to air on television does the best job since the original season with the theme of exploration as the original Enterprise explores strange new worlds and seeks out new lives and civilizations.  The cast works together extremely well with a refreshingly believable camaraderie and genuine chemistry.  Underrated and underappreciated by Star Trek fans, there's actually some clever writing and some memorable episodes Season two episodes include "Shockwave, Part II", "Carbon Creek", "Minefield", "Dead Stop", "A Night in Sickbay", "Marauders", "The Seventh", "The Communicator", "Singularity", "Vanishing Point", "Precious Cargo", "The Catwalk", "Dawn", "Stigma", "Cease Fire", "Future Tense", "Canamar", "The Crossing", "Judgment", "Horizon", "The Breach", "Cogenitor", "Regeneration", "First Flight", "Bounty", and "The Expanse". Enterprise - Complete Second Season is good, but gets better as the season goes on, successfully setting up the remaining two seasons as truly exciting adventure television.

Scary Movie 5

Weinstein Company / Released 8/20/13

Home with their newly-formed family, happy parents Dan and Jody are haunted by sinister, paranormal activities -- disrupting new mama Jody's dancing aspirations in the ''Swan Lake'' ballet and threatening Dan's rise as an ape researcher. Determined to expel the insidious force, they install security cameras and discover their family is being stalked by an evil dead demon! The latest installment of the Scary Movie franchise includes hilarious, non-stop send ups of some of the biggest recent cinematic hits and pop culture, featuring Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Snoop Dogg, Katt Williams, Katrina Bowden, Kate Walsh, Heather Locklear and Mike Tyson.   Extras include Deleted And Extended Scenes.

Last Word:  Any movie that has you longing for the return of the Shawn and Marlon Wayans is never a good sign.  Unfunny and basically terrible.  Skip it.

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And We Are One Step Closer to Living In A STAR TREK Universe: The SIGMO VOICE TRANSLATOR Will Not Only Make Communication Easier Between People, It Might Also Make Ordering Chech'tluth In Original Klingon Less Embarrassing

August 26, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Book Report: Overstock Match, Remembering Dutch, Get Off Listening To Dickens & More

≪ Previous: That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 8/18

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I have to say that I'm particularly psyched to live in a world where asking for a bathroom in Japanese got a whole lot easier for me thanks to the SIGMO Voice Translator (not that I have any problems finding one since the universal symbol for "gotta go pee-pee" is holding your crotch and jumping up and down). But it would be nice to know that I can maintain some dignity by simply speaking into the Sigmo and it will translate what I said into the appropriate language.

And yeah, the fact that it is reminiscent of the Star Trekian Universe I'm so fond of doesn't hurt either.

Read more »

Book Report: Overstock Match, Remembering Dutch, Get Off Listening To Dickens & More

August 26, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: SCIENCE GEEK: Learn All About the European Robin's Behavior...As Acted Out By Humans (Video)

≪ Previous: And We Are One Step Closer to Living In A STAR TREK Universe: The SIGMO VOICE TRANSLATOR Will Not Only Make Communication Easier Between People, It Might Also Make Ordering Chech'tluth In Original Klingon Less Embarrassing

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Remembering Elmore Leonard 

A moving article from the San Francisco Chronicle on the passing of a literary great, Elmore Leonard.

Fall Books 

Recommended scifi and fantasy reads for fall from IO9.

Dark Children's Books 

Eleven redesigned children's book covers that reflect the dark stories within.

Read more »

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SCIENCE GEEK: Learn All About the European Robin's Behavior...As Acted Out By Humans (Video)

August 26, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: BREAKING BAD: "Confessions" S5E11 (review)

≪ Previous: Book Report: Overstock Match, Remembering Dutch, Get Off Listening To Dickens & More

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There is no need to make learning about animal behavior boring, especially since you can convey valuable information by having human beings taking on the animal roles as seriously as Meryl Streep would have done...had she taken a serious pay cut and agreed to be a European Robin for two minutes.

And yeah, I think she should consider doing something like this, I mean, if Isabella Rossellini can make animal porn into an educational experience, I don't see why Streep can't show how territorial these bastard birds really are.

Whatever, just watch the video after the break.

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BREAKING BAD: "Confessions" S5E11 (review)

August 26, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: RANT: 2013 MTV MUSIC AWARDS - 30th ANNIVERSARY 8/25/13

≪ Previous: SCIENCE GEEK: Learn All About the European Robin's Behavior...As Acted Out By Humans (Video)

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By Seth Levi

You know the end is near when Saul shows up to a police station with his comb-over poorly composed, revealing the extent of his hair loss.  When he extracts Jesse from Hank's interrogation — picking up where last episode left off — his hair hasn't been evenly distributed across the dome of his head; it's clumped together in several large strands, revealing his baldness.

Despite his good timing, Jesse didn't need the help. Hank tries to flip Jesse, accurately assessing that he and Walt are on the outs, but Jesse still holds a grudge against Hank for beating him up in season 3 over the fake emergency call about Marie (which Hank now realizes Walt was behind); he's not going to talk to Hank.

After Jesse is released Walt calls a meeting between the warring families — Hank & Marie and Walt & Skylar at the fauxist of faux Mexican restaurants.

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RANT: 2013 MTV MUSIC AWARDS - 30th ANNIVERSARY 8/25/13

August 26, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Celebrating ESP-DISK' : 50 Years of Unimaginable Sounds – Imagined

≪ Previous: BREAKING BAD: "Confessions" S5E11 (review)

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I'm at my BFF Claire's house to watch the awards because I don't have cable anymore.

She has a bottle of wine because we will need it. This is going to be interesting because I have NO idea who these kids are that we’re seeing during the pre-show bullshit.  They all look like they’re 12 or 13.  Oh there’s Pharrell and a bunch of Black kids riding BMX bikes.  Why?  Is that supposed to be a cool entrance?

Oh, and I see that Sway is STILL working at MTV.  Didn’t he cut his locs?  He’s still wearing that big-assed hat, what’s up under there if he’s got no hair?

Where is my glass?  IT’S EMPTY!  CLAIRE, HELP!



WOW I FEEL OLD - WHO ARE THESE KIDS?



Okay, Lady GaGa is on to open the show. She comes out in an all white outfit, looking like a nun, but instead of a Habit, it’s a big, white rectangle surrounding her face. It's the TV debut of her new song, and I can't understand a WORD she's saying, but it's catchy and she now has the world record of fastest changes EVER!

She did some "arty" stuff by getting colored paint smeared on her face (get Bowie on the horn!)

Eh, this was just okay I guess.



MILEY CYRUS! Well it's official, she's a HOOKER! She's still “Twerking” it up and looking nice and slutty.

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Celebrating ESP-DISK' : 50 Years of Unimaginable Sounds – Imagined

August 26, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: NIC CAGE AS EVERYONE: Yep, Your Nightmare of Nicolas Cage Being In Every Movie On the Planet Has Just Become A Reality...Sleep Well

≪ Previous: RANT: 2013 MTV MUSIC AWARDS - 30th ANNIVERSARY 8/25/13

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In 1963 a record label began on the 12th floor of 156 Fifth Avenue in New York City by releasing its first LP.

Bernard Stollman, a 34 year old jazz fan with a law background, had been working with some rhythm and blues and jazz musicians, helping them with copyright and contract issues.

Bernard Stollman and one of his early ESP logos.

Stollman had also learned the "International Auxiliary Language," Esperanto and recorded an album of songs and poetry all spoken in Esperanto, which he had hoped would further promote the language.

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NIC CAGE AS EVERYONE: Yep, Your Nightmare of Nicolas Cage Being In Every Movie On the Planet Has Just Become A Reality...Sleep Well

August 26, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: The Pull List: CHIN MUSIC #2, SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #3, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23 & More!

≪ Previous: Celebrating ESP-DISK' : 50 Years of Unimaginable Sounds – Imagined

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Nic Cage's agent must be exhausted. I mean, the poor guy has to say "Yes" to every offer that comes across his table (from great work like: Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas and Valley Girl to his amazing craptastic films like: The Wicker Man and, my personal favorite, Season of the Witch) which has more than likely whittled down his client list to just Nic Cage (and no one should have to deal with something like that on a daily basis).

But now, the folks from Movie Clips have inserted Mr. Cage into movies he was never even in, just to make it clear to the whole of humanity that we will never get away from Nic Cage...EVER.

I am frightened friends....so very frightened.

Video after the break.

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The Pull List: CHIN MUSIC #2, SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #3, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23 & More!

August 26, 2013, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: The Bee Gees 'Staying Alive' Slowed Down...Yep, This Is Becoming A "Thing"

≪ Previous: NIC CAGE AS EVERYONE: Yep, Your Nightmare of Nicolas Cage Being In Every Movie On the Planet Has Just Become A Reality...Sleep Well

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Check out what I checked out this week.

Whether the comics are inspiring or disappointing, I read them all.

Welcome to The Pull List.

And, as always...Spoilers ahead!

Daredevil #30 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Chris Samnee
Colorist: Javier Rodriguez
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99

Thirty issues in, and Mark Waid has been the mastermind behind what is arguably not only the best Daredevil run of all time, but also the best series in the game today.

The preview at the end of last month’s issue made me super excited. I mean come on: A Daredevil and Silver Surfer team up!?

How are they going to pull this off?

I’m here to report that it was pulled off in spectacular fashion.

Ru’Ach, an Achian, is a galactic fugitive who seeks the counsel of Matt Murdock.

This moment is great because his idea about hiring Murdock is based on an inebriated commencement speech. Silver Surfer comes in to apprehend Ru’Ach and Murdock stops him in his tracks since he feels his “client”is innocent until the Surfer proves otherwise. The adventure they embark on was an absolute pleasure to be a part of, and Chris Samnee’s two page spread of Daredevil driving Silver Surfer’s board was priceless and needs to be made into a poster ASAP.

This issue has a  little bit of everything from comedy to action and everything else in between. This is definitely one of the best single issues of the year and you owe it to yourself as a comic book fan to read this issue.

Grade: A+

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The Bee Gees 'Staying Alive' Slowed Down...Yep, This Is Becoming A "Thing"

August 26, 2013, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Contest! Win 'BEING HUMAN: Season 5' on Blu-ray!

≪ Previous: The Pull List: CHIN MUSIC #2, SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #3, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23 & More!

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Last week I posted about Dolly Parton's song Jolene being slowed down to the point where Parton's voice took on an entirely different feeling and cadence, and yes, in that case Jolene became even more incredible (and to be honest, the more I hear it, the more I think I like it better than the original).

But like all great things that happen on the web, there's a meme movement to do the same to other songs, either by slowing down a fast-paced song, or speeding-up a slower one, and the results are kinda mixed. 

One example is Staying Alive by the Bee Gees, which is slowed way down to give the tempo a more deliberate funk feeling (and I approve of the new BPM, although it's a bit hard to get used to the first time you hear it) but that's not the more interesting outcome of the newly evolved Disco song, it's the fact that Barry Gibb's falsetto still remains completely intact...regardless of it being dragged through musical molasses.

Is the song better? 

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that someone, somewhere is dancing to it right now.

Take a listen after the break.

Read more »

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Contest! Win 'BEING HUMAN: Season 5' on Blu-ray!

August 26, 2013, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Tears For Fears Covers Arcade Fire's 'Ready to Start'

≪ Previous: The Bee Gees 'Staying Alive' Slowed Down...Yep, This Is Becoming A "Thing"

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Hal, Tom and Alex are three housemates with some serious issues on their hands, and they’re not just about household chores. Hal (Damien Molony) is a 500 year-old vampire, Tom (Michael Socha) is a hardened werewolf and Alex (Kate Bracken) has recently had the misfortune of becoming a ghost. But threat lurks around every corner. There is the volatile and deluded Crumb (Colin Hoult) – a newly recruited vampire, and the sinister Mr Rook (Steven Robertson) – head of a secret government department. With bills to be paid, our heroes take jobs in Barry’s kitschest hotel, but alongside the flock wallpaper and the cocktail umbrellas dwells an evil greater than anything faced before. On the face of it, Captain Hatch (Phil Davis) is just another foul-mouthed decrepit old man but he hides a dark secret that threatens not only our heroes’ friendships but the entire world.

And we're giving away three copies!

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MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Tears For Fears Covers Arcade Fire's 'Ready to Start'

August 26, 2013, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: DEXTER: "Make Your Own Kind of Music" S8E9 (review)

≪ Previous: Contest! Win 'BEING HUMAN: Season 5' on Blu-ray!

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I'm old and it's not something I'm ashamed of at all. At nearly 40 I have seen and done some amazing shit and none of it, thankfully, ended up on the Internet because I was lucky enough to do these things before the advent of camera phones and Facebook (and thank god 'cause I'm pretty sure that if they were, I would be in jail).

And while I don't feel as if I'm missing out on anything in particular, there are times when I yearn for the very things in my past that brought me joy and happiness that are no longer part of this world, like: locker notes, jolt cola, renting movies from Blockbuster on a Friday night, making mix tapes (on an actual cassette) and crying to Tears for Fears songs when I just broke up with someone (don't even get me started on my month-long depression fest while listening to Woman In Chains when I was 15).

And, lucky for me, Tears for Fears has managed to bridge the generational gap with a cover of Arcade Fire's Ready to Start so that I can enjoy the melancholy voices of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith while still remaining relevant to my sixteen year-old nephew whose judgemental attitude toward his aunt's musical tastes are borderline cruel (and no, I'm not going to apologize for the time I made you listen to El DeBarge's Who's Johnny from the movie Short Circuit five times in a row).

Sometimes it's good to be old.

Song and video after the break.

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DEXTER: "Make Your Own Kind of Music" S8E9 (review)

August 27, 2013, 8:08 am

≫ Next: ANIMATION GEEK: '5 More Minutes' Is A Delightful Short That Will Make You Wish You Were A Kid Again

≪ Previous: MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Tears For Fears Covers Arcade Fire's 'Ready to Start'

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By Caitlyn Thompson

With only three episodes left, tonight’s installment of Dexter did a good job in setting up the story lines that will propel the series to its conclusion.

Small potatoes first:

Jaime and Angel are wishful and a bit sad over their respective desires.

Jaime wants Quinn to fully commit to her, Angel wants Deb to come back to the force. Too bad those two only want each other. SMOOCH.

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ANIMATION GEEK: '5 More Minutes' Is A Delightful Short That Will Make You Wish You Were A Kid Again

August 27, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Cry(ing Inside) for Justice—A Dark Moment in League History

≪ Previous: DEXTER: "Make Your Own Kind of Music" S8E9 (review)

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Animator Tom Yaniv was inspired by the innocence and daydreams of his daughter when he created 5 More Minutes, and for that I thank the little moppet, because this short animated tale is deliciously sublime.

Simple, elegant and pretty much every other descriptive word that the English language can come up with, I can only say that you should drop whatever it is you're doing and spend the next two minutes basking in the glow of animated superiority.

It'll make you feel like leaving work early, heading over to the park and playing on a swing for a couple of hours.

Video after the break.

Read more »

Cry(ing Inside) for Justice—A Dark Moment in League History

August 27, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER: The Legendary Friendship Necklace Gets A STAR WARS Twist

≪ Previous: ANIMATION GEEK: '5 More Minutes' Is A Delightful Short That Will Make You Wish You Were A Kid Again

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When comic fans hear the name James Robinson, many of them associate him with the groundbreaking work that was Starman, a character he’s become as synonymous with as Chris Claremont has with the X-Men.

But some of us also develop nervous twitches and small rashes in places better left unmentioned and I’d bet dollars to donuts---mmmmm, donuts…—that it’s because of a seven issue miniseries he penned called Cry For Justice.

It wasn’t quite Draco level horrific, but as far as low points go for the Justice League, this was probably one of the lowest we’ve seen in recent years, believe me on that one.

Sorry, Chuck, your Draco was still worse than this one.

Now, what made it such a bad story?  I’m glad you asked. 

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