FOG! Chats With 'Frankenstein's Army' Director RICHARD RAAPHORST

September 10, 2013, 10:12 am

≫ Next: WHAT WOULD ZACK MORRIS DO? Modern Day 'Saved By the Bell' Scenarios With Mark-Paul Gosselaar

≪ Previous: CAMPBELL'S SOUP Is Heading In The Keurig Direction...Great, So Now We Have Become Too Lazy To Even Warm Up Soup...Awesome

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Interview conducted by Stefan Blitz

Despite Frankenstein's Army being his first film as a feature director, Richard Raaphorst is a consummate filmmaker, racking up credits for the past two decades as an actor, a writer, a producer, in special effects, props, storyboards, and as a conceptual artist.

As a result, the CGI-free monster fest is truly a singular vision and comparisons to other unique visual auteurs such as Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton or Guillermo del Toro is completely deserving.  I had the opportunity to chat with Richard Raaphorst about the film, his inspirations and his future projects.

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WHAT WOULD ZACK MORRIS DO? Modern Day 'Saved By the Bell' Scenarios With Mark-Paul Gosselaar

September 10, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Who Ya’ Gonna Call?—Justice League Dark Responds to DC’s Supernatural

≪ Previous: FOG! Chats With 'Frankenstein's Army' Director RICHARD RAAPHORST

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One question has plagued me as I have gotten older, "Would Zack Morris be just as cool an adolescent today as he was twenty years ago?"

Granted, this question only pops up when I've been drinking, but as a koan, it certainly helps get me into a zen head space that allows me to reflect upon life's most perplexing questions before I succumb to a blackout.

But now, thanks to YouTube, that answer is available to me (and really, to all of us who have ever spent hours dissecting Saved By the Bell episodes).

Watch and learn after the break.

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Who Ya’ Gonna Call?—Justice League Dark Responds to DC’s Supernatural

September 10, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: It's the TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY of OUTKAST'S 'HEY YA!'...So, Am I Still Allowed To Put This On At Parties?

≪ Previous: WHAT WOULD ZACK MORRIS DO? Modern Day 'Saved By the Bell' Scenarios With Mark-Paul Gosselaar

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Back in 2011, when DC was slowly pulling back the curtain on what would comprise their new status quo after the (almost total) reboot inducing event known as Flashpoint, one of the titles that caught pretty much everyone’s eyes was Justice League Dark.

OK, first things first.  Asinine name.  I mean, really, it sounds like a chocolate bar variety.  But, silly title blatantly trying to capitalize on the Justice League franchise moniker notwithstanding, I was certainly intrigued and I can’t say I was disappointed.

Up next, Justice League…Almond Silk!

Whereas the main Justice League was comprised of the heavy hitters you’d come to expect like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, the Dark team was more of a loose confederacy of characters with varying ties to the supernatural and mystical corners of the DCU, headlined by the likes of longtime fan favorite Zatanna and the recently reinstated to the mainstream DCU anti-hero John Constantine, who’d made the move from being a solely Vertigo property at the close of Brightest Day.

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It's the TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY of OUTKAST'S 'HEY YA!'...So, Am I Still Allowed To Put This On At Parties?

September 10, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: "You're Move Creep": RoboCop Reboot on the Horizon

≪ Previous: Who Ya’ Gonna Call?—Justice League Dark Responds to DC’s Supernatural

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Ten years...ten years.

Has it really been that long since I was standing in the middle of a club dancing to this song before suddenly realizing that at the age of twenty-nine, I was getting a bit long in the tooth to be participating in this shit? 

Wow.

I mean sure, those were great days and all and I had a lot of fun, but back in 2003 I was starting to need naps before heading out for the night and my recovery time was squeaking toward the 48 hour limit and frankly the idea of nub rubbing against girls eight or nine years younger than me in order to score free drinks from dudes who thought they might luck into a three-way (they weren't), was starting to become less appealing as my thirties were fast approaching.

So I guess I should thank Big Boi and André 3000 for the wake up call that sweet, sweet long ago evening when I was jumping up and down to the catchy lyrics of Hey Ya! and realizing it might be time to hang up my clubbing days.

I mean, if it weren't for them I never would have discovered how much cheaper it was to stay home and drink beer with my friends while playing strip Monopoly.

Nostalgic Video after the break.

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"You're Move Creep": RoboCop Reboot on the Horizon

September 10, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: 96-YEAR OLD MAN Writes A Love Song For His Late Wife And Thanks To Green Shoe Studios, It Cracks The Billboard 100

≪ Previous: It's the TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY of OUTKAST'S 'HEY YA!'...So, Am I Still Allowed To Put This On At Parties?

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 We finally have our first peek at the upcoming remake/reboot of “RoboCop,” due February 7, 2014.

It seems like this one’s been in the pipeline forever, and while it’s way too soon to gauge the quality—and, let’s be honest, the necessity—of the finished product, the teaser trailer offers a mixed bag of excitement and woe.

Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 “RoboCop” certainly ranks in the highest echelon of the action and sci-fi genres, deftly mixing a superhero tale and revenge fantasy with biting social satire that ridicules violent culture, corporate and mass-media proliferation and consumerism run amok.

Despite two stunningly awful theatrical sequels and a few lesser-known straight-to-DVD projects, it’s a no-brainer that MGM opted to re-launch the “RoboCop” franchise.

Yet, as proven with many a remake that pales in comparison to its original, you can’t necessarily capture the same lighting in a bottle.

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96-YEAR OLD MAN Writes A Love Song For His Late Wife And Thanks To Green Shoe Studios, It Cracks The Billboard 100

September 10, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: COSMIC TREADMILL - LOGAN’S RUN (Bluewater)

≪ Previous: "You're Move Creep": RoboCop Reboot on the Horizon

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Music is as much a part of my life as breathing is. Every song that gets played in my house is all connected to a specific memory (or, is in the process of making one) and because of that connection to music, I want to share the story of Fred Stobaugh.

At the age of 96, Fred was not looking for fame or fortune or anything resembling adoration. What he was looking for was a way to deal with the passing of his wife Lorraine after spending 75 years together.

When Fred spied an ad for a singer/songwriter contest from Green Shoe Studio (located in Peoria, Ill) he thought it might be a nice way to say how much he loved and missed his wife. And so Fred penned a simple little song called Oh Sweet Lorraine and sent it Snail Mail-style to Green Shoe Studio.

Now, what makes Green Shoe different than pretty much 90% of all the other music studios (besides being based in Peoria, Ill) is that even though the contest makes it clear that entries need to be uploaded to Youtube in order to be considered, Producer/Founder,Jake Colgan still read Fred's letter and not only fell in love with Fred's song and story, he set out to make Fred's song Oh Sweet Lorraine a reality...as a present for Fred.

 (wipes away tear)

Yeah, that actually happened.

And the best part is that Oh Sweet Lorraine has not only managed to crack the Billboard charts, it is also in the top 10 of iTune downloads.

Now, just so you know, Fred didn't win the contest (the winner was Graham Cowger who did a lovely job and yes, he followed the rules and uploaded his video) but that doesn't matter, this is a story about a guy who loved his wife and wrote a song about it.

After the break is a short documentary all about the hows and the whys and the what happened, but really you should only remember just one thing, real love makes the best songs.

Check it out...and cry...I did. (Then download the song).

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COSMIC TREADMILL - LOGAN’S RUN (Bluewater)

September 10, 2013, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: THE COMIC LIST: Releases For 9/11/13

≪ Previous: 96-YEAR OLD MAN Writes A Love Song For His Late Wife And Thanks To Green Shoe Studios, It Cracks The Billboard 100

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Bluewater Publishing picked up the rights to William F. Nolan’s cult scifi Logan’s Run comic books back in 2009, and since then has been pushing us to Last Day with a series of comics and collected trades.  This Cosmic Treadmill takes us forward to the ageist post-nuclear future society and the story of our runner Logan 6 and pairmate Jessica through a series of adventures to destroy the controlling mind of The Thinker.

Scifi fans should be encouraged to check out the extended universe of the Logan’s Run novel trilogy, 1976 film and short-lived 1977 television series.

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THE COMIC LIST: Releases For 9/11/13

September 10, 2013, 7:03 pm

≫ Next: REWIND THIS! A Documentary Dedicated to Those Long Ago Days of Spending Friday Nights At The Video Store Waiting Around To See If Someone Returned 'Basket Case'

≪ Previous: COSMIC TREADMILL - LOGAN’S RUN (Bluewater)

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After the jump check out a list of which which comics, graphic novels, toys and other pop-culture merchandise will arrive at your local comic shop via Diamond Comics Distributors.   Please check with your retailer for availability.

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REWIND THIS! A Documentary Dedicated to Those Long Ago Days of Spending Friday Nights At The Video Store Waiting Around To See If Someone Returned 'Basket Case'

September 11, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: The Classic Rocker: BACK TO SCHOOL

≪ Previous: THE COMIC LIST: Releases For 9/11/13

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Believe it or not young readers of FOG! there was once such a time when home entertainment meant playing boardgames with your family and not dispersing to separate rooms in order to watch various Netflix offerings on whatever electronic apparatus was free.

Back when I was but a lass, you lived and died on the big network's television line-up schedule and hoped to whatever god you prayed to that one of them (ABC, CBS, or NBC) would run some awesome old movie after 10pm so that you could watch something good before the TV programming shut down for the night leaving either a test pattern or a looping video of the American Flag on the screen (yes, back then TV was only on until 1 or 2 in the morning).

But then something wonderful happened, the concept of 24-hours of visual entertainment coming out of your console television in the form of either cable (offering something like twelve channels instead of 4 or 5) or,the most wonderful invention of all, the video cassette player.

Yes, when the Betamax/VHS players came out and the video stores starting popping up in my hometown of McMinnville, Or, people fell to their knees in pure ecstasy and spent their weeks counting down the days until Friday which, was for those of us who are old enough to remember it, was the sacred day of communing with the Video Gods and our church was whichever video store had the movie we wanted in stock.

And yes, it was not uncommon to stay in that holy place for hours at a time hoping that the copy of Basket Case you so desperately wanted to watch for the eighth time would miraculously be returned on this, its due date.

Oh those were the days I tell you!

And to honor those rosy-hued times comes the glorious documentary Rewind This! which delves deep into the videotape revolution and what it meant to those of us who mentally ingested every damn movie that we could.

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The Classic Rocker: BACK TO SCHOOL

September 11, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: CRAFT GEEK: Make Your Very Own "Frankenstein Needs A Brain" Bean Bag Toss Game

≪ Previous: REWIND THIS! A Documentary Dedicated to Those Long Ago Days of Spending Friday Nights At The Video Store Waiting Around To See If Someone Returned 'Basket Case'

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It doesn't matter what generation you fit into on the pop culture chart, even if you've reached the status of "Can't teach an old dog new tricks."

The end of summer means one thing:

Back to school.

Okay, I'm not using that as an incentive to quit your job, pack up your vinyl album collection and move into a dorm. I'm only giving reason to the memories swirling through your mind after you've realized it's too quiet around the house. Another younger generation of kids or grandkids is heading off to the halls of higher learning which was once our domain.  Our former turf where togas were considered formal wear and empty beer kegs served as coffee tables.

For many of us college was our first real taste of freedom. Also, for many of us, it goes down in the mental bank as the final four years of freedom until these same kids and eventually grandkids punched our admittance tickets into the real world.

Yeah, we all have something to remember about school when we hit this time of year. Grade school, junior high, high school or college - we've been there and done that. Some of these memories are great while others recall pure embarrassment. You might be dreaming of your old dorm room and wishing you could do it again knowing what you know now, or simply glad it's all over.

Either way, like any memory, it should have a soundtrack. And since I'm not writing these ramblings for the incoming freshmen who will be glorifying Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber behind their memories decades from now… Wait. I take that back.

Will anyone even remember Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber decades from now?

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CRAFT GEEK: Make Your Very Own "Frankenstein Needs A Brain" Bean Bag Toss Game

September 11, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: My Two Year Anniversary Without Cable Television

≪ Previous: The Classic Rocker: BACK TO SCHOOL

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Since we are already almost halfway through September, I figure now is a good time to start talking about DIY Halloween stuff that you can start creating to make this year's festivities fun for everyone.

Now, even if you don't have kids (like me) there's no reason you can't make a few party games that even the drunk grown-ups would enjoy playing, and this Frankenstein bean bag toss game would definitely fit the bill (especially after a few Twisted Screwdrivers- one part black vodka to two parts OJ).

And, thanks to crafty blogger Gretchen from Three Little Monkeys Studio, it's gonna be super easy to make and, better yet, costs under $20...yay!

All you are going to need is:
A 3×4′ engineering print of your art (ordered online via your local Staples and picked up in store for around $7)
One can of Krylon Easy-Tack (it is repositionable and awesome!) or the spray adhesive of your choice
A sturdy foam poster board (picked up from Hobby Lobby for $5.99)
A rolling pin
A spouse, friend or a child (that doesn’t bounce like she has ants in her pants) on hand to help with adhering An X-acto knife
A template for the hole (optional)
Bean bags or a couple of brains available from Dollar Tree for the game (or, if you can't find any, you can make them yourself by cutting medium-ish squares from fabric, sewing the right sides together (leaving enough room to turn it right-side out and fill with beans) and then sewing the bean bag closed.

For the downloadable Frankenstein template and all the how-tos, click HERE.

Then get ready for a bunch of fun (or a bunch of drunk people throwing bean bags around your precious collectibles with wild abandon).

Source: Three Little Monkeys

My Two Year Anniversary Without Cable Television

September 11, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: LEGO 'THRILLER': Yes, It's the 'Thriller' Video Re-Imagined With Legos...But Not In the Way You Think

≪ Previous: CRAFT GEEK: Make Your Very Own "Frankenstein Needs A Brain" Bean Bag Toss Game

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After having gone two years without cable TV, it seems unlikely that I’ll ever pay for it again.

Between the channels I get over the air, Amazon Prime and Netflix, and being able to buy some cable shows the day after they air on Amazon, I’m not missing that much.


While the obvious upside is more cash in my pocket, another positive, unexpected outcome is that being a cord cutter has made my viewing choices smarter.

When I had cable TV, a lot of viewing time was spent watching reruns of favorite shows, such as Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Law & Order, etc. (A huge chunk of the content on cable TV is simply syndicated reruns).

I like these shows, and when I get home from work, my inclination is to watch something I’m familiar with, that I know I’m going to like.

Not that there's anything wrong with it...

Cable TV provides a continual broadcast loop of this. 

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LEGO 'THRILLER': Yes, It's the 'Thriller' Video Re-Imagined With Legos...But Not In the Way You Think

September 11, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Ace of Records: "CAN'T HARDLY WAIT"

≪ Previous: My Two Year Anniversary Without Cable Television

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Legos have become a favorite medium for some animators and for that, I'm eternally thankful. But under the talented thumb of artist/animator Annette Jung, the Lego art form's bar has just been raised a considerable amount.

And trust me when I say, I'm not fucking kidding with that statement.

In this amazing re-imagining of Michael Jackson's epic video Thriller you will truly know what it is to witness animation genius.

Video after the break.

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Ace of Records: "CAN'T HARDLY WAIT"

September 11, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Hey Boston, Want To See NBC's New Show THE BLACKLIST Starring James Spader Tomorrow Night?

≪ Previous: LEGO 'THRILLER': Yes, It's the 'Thriller' Video Re-Imagined With Legos...But Not In the Way You Think

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By Jessie Lynn

The Replacements - “Can’t Hardly Wait” (Tim version)
 
I'll be there in an hour. It'd take half a month there on foot. Watering hole, scummy water tower. Said I'll avoid, if I could. I'll be sad in heaven; you won't follow me there.

“Can’t Hardly Wait” has such an ache in it that it makes me wanna scream; the Tim version has an ache even more raw and ragged than the Pleased To Meet Me Version.

It’s the ache of waiting for love, for friends, for home, for hope. It’s the rust belt ache of living in a cold, decaying nowhere city.

It’s the ache of feeling like the world is passing you by.

It’s the ache of watching the sun set on the horizon, a horizon that you’ll never reach.


Jesus rides beside me, and never buys any smokes. Hurry up, hurry up, I've got enough of this stuff. Ashtray floors, dirty clothes, filthy jokes.

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Hey Boston, Want To See NBC's New Show THE BLACKLIST Starring James Spader Tomorrow Night?

September 11, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Contest! Win 'MODERN FAMILY' Season Four on Blu-ray!

≪ Previous: Ace of Records: "CAN'T HARDLY WAIT"

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Be one of the first to see NBC's thrilling new drama, THE BLACKLIST, starring James Spader.

When the FBI’s most wanted fugitive, Raymond “Red” Reddington mysteriously turns himself in to help catch the worst’s worst criminals on his “blacklist”, no one knows what to believe – especially not Liz Keen, the new agent he demands to work with.

And we're giving away passes to Forces of Geek readers to see the first episode on Thursday, September 12th at 7:00 pm at the Kendall Square Cinema!

For the chance to receive a pass for two to the screening please click HERE!

Just a reminder that tickets are oversold and you should plan on getting there early. Passes and admittance are on a first come first served basis.

THE BLACKLIST premieres Monday, September 23, 10/9c on NBC.

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Contest! Win 'MODERN FAMILY' Season Four on Blu-ray!

September 12, 2013, 7:00 am

≫ Next: That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 9/1

≪ Previous: Hey Boston, Want To See NBC's New Show THE BLACKLIST Starring James Spader Tomorrow Night?

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The laughs – and the awards – just keep on coming for the #1-rated “Modern Family,” winner of three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series! With Jay and Gloria’s baby on the way and Haley going off to college, the entire Pritchett/Dunphy clan faces some major surprises as they bicker and bond over house-flipping headaches, unwanted play dates, and everything from hot-tempered hormones to in utero karaoke. Featuring a stellar array of guest stars including Matthew Broderick, Shelley Long and Elizabeth Banks, Season Four takes a heartfelt and laugh-out-lough hilarious look at what it means to be a “Modern Family.”

And we're giving away two copies on Blu-ray!


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That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 9/1

September 12, 2013, 8:00 am

≫ Next: BATMAN AND CAPTAIN AMERICA Save A Cat From A Burning Building...Evil Is Thwarted Once Again

≪ Previous: Contest! Win 'MODERN FAMILY' Season Four on Blu-ray!

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Yes, I'm still behind, but catching up, I swear.  This installment includes several tv seasons, a Studio Ghibli release, some zombies, some magicians and a doctor who claims his wife was murdered by a one armed man.

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


Now You See Me

Summit Entertainment / Released 9/3/13

In this visually spectacular blend of astonishing illusions and exhilarating action from director Louis Leterrier, an elite FBI squad engages in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen", a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.  Extras include commentary, deleted scenes and featurettes.

Last Word: An incredibly satisfying popcorn movie with a large ensemble (Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, Isla Fisher Dave Franco, Common, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman), Now You See Me manages to do the sometimes impossible, portray magic on screen without making it feel like it's accomplished with cinematic special effects.  Fast paced and extremely entertaining, the film feels like a mash-up of Ocean's Eleven, Sneakers and The Usual Suspects.   Far better than I expected it to be, Now You See Me is terrifically entertaining.  And dare I say...magical?  Highly recommended.

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BATMAN AND CAPTAIN AMERICA Save A Cat From A Burning Building...Evil Is Thwarted Once Again

September 12, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: VILLANELLE (review)

≪ Previous: That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 9/1

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Two men dressed as Batman and Captain America were on their way to the American Legion (note: not the beginning of a joke) when they came across a house that was on fire.

And, like any superhero worth their weight, the two sprang into action (although, to be honest, it seems like it was more Batman's scene then Steve Rogers').

Luckily, no one was home at the time of the blaze, except the family cat...which Batman not only managed to rescue from the smoke and flames, he freaking resuscitated it...to it's horror.

Now that's how you celebrate being badass.

Actual news segment of the event after the break.

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VILLANELLE (review)

September 12, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Jii Jii Jii: THE WEIRDEST F*CKING ADVERTISEMENT For A Japanese Lighter/USB Thingy You Will Probably Ever See...WTF Is In The Water Over There...Jeez

≪ Previous: BATMAN AND CAPTAIN AMERICA Save A Cat From A Burning Building...Evil Is Thwarted Once Again

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Review by Tony Pacitti

The low-budget, indie thriller Villanelle starts off as misleadingly standard stuff—an ex-big city detective is “exiled” to a sleepy town and all signs point towards a crime that the locals aren’t equipped to deal with.

How filmmaker Rick Leprade shakes that formula up is by introducing a supernatural element that is more than just a clever genre mash-up.

Detective Burke (Rich Tretheway) is a disgraced Boston cop “reassigned” to a tiny Rhode Island town where he spends his days coping with “hot leads” on missing kayaks by downing Pepto and whiskey. He’s a down on his luck cop in the classic noir mold--disheveled, drunk and prone to voice overs.

The town itself is a little disheveled and drunk, a summer hot spot deep into its off season slump, the kind of place with little to do besides getting a drink at the local bar and waiting out the winter.

This all gets turned inside out when femme fatale Dawn (Gillian Williams) shows up at Burke’s door in the middle of the night after having been raped and left for dead.

Her survival is the key to linking a string of not-so unrelated deaths and together the two of them work towards finding the town’s poetry obsessed killer.

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Jii Jii Jii: THE WEIRDEST F*CKING ADVERTISEMENT For A Japanese Lighter/USB Thingy You Will Probably Ever See...WTF Is In The Water Over There...Jeez

September 12, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ETERNAL WARRIOR #1, AVENGERS ARENA #15, PROPHET #39 plus MYSTERYMAN #1

≪ Previous: VILLANELLE (review)

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The Japanese are a wonderful people and while I thank them profusely for giving the world a great many fucked up game shows and Hentai, I do sometimes have an issue with just how crazy their advertising is. 

Take for instance the Jii Lighter/USB combo (why?) which, on its own, is odd enough, but the advertising campaign to get people to buy this FrankenFlashDrive is so insane that there is no way I could even see this commercial working (unless of course the goal is not selling an actual lighter/USB thing but to get drug abusers to question their copious intake of hallucinogenic substances...if that's the case, then well done Mad Men).

Commercial after the break.

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