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Monster of The Month: The Beast of Bray Road

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On June 6, I had the great pleasure of hosting the event I’ve been working on organizing for a long time—the first ever Milwaukee Paranormal Conference.

It timed with the release of my new book Monster Hunters: On the Trail With Ghost Hunters, Bigfooters, Ufologists, and Other Paranormal Investigators. 

 One of the great things about the con was that a few people featured in the book were also guest speakers this year. This included the Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee, who I followed around for a year to get good material, Bigfooter Jim Sherman (see last month’s column), and Linda S. Godfrey.

I wrote a chapter about Linda in Monster Hunters titled “The Accidental Werewolf Chronicler.” I just love Linda’s story, because it’s like something out of an X-Files episode.


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What A Lovely Day For Action Figures!: A Look at MAD MAX Toys

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So you are totally excited about the end of the world...

After watching Mad Max: Fury Road who can blame you? 

I was ready to run out and dent my car up, knock out the windows, paint some skulls and burn some rubber!

But for now, we still live in a “society”. 

Yeah I know… sucks.  We want the apocalypse now! 


At the very least, if we live in a society we want it to be one with cool Mad Max merch and toys! 

And sadly… there is so very little.

The good news, if you want to live it, you can skip all the new age peace loving folks at Burning Man and get your asses to Wasteland Weekend.  I promise you, it is shiny and chrome. 

Now… since you can live full time in the wasteland of our future yet, you can enjoy the setting with some toys. 

Toys for Mad Max or Road Warrior and as scarce as clean water, oil and gas on that long hot highway of the future.  But luckily, others who were inspired by the post-apocalyptic film and genre made their own. 

They are old, they are rare, but they are awesome.

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WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Debuts on Blu-ray & DVD July 21st

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FROM THE CREATOR OF “FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS” COMES AN UPROARIOUS HORROR COMEDY

Critically Acclaimed and Award-Winning Film Comes Into the Light on Blu-ray July 21, 2015 with Over Two Hours of Hilarious Bonus Features

Hailed as “tonally flawless” (Wall Street Journal) and “one of the flat-out funniest films in ages” (Los Angeles Times), the “hilarious” (Vanity Fair) mockumentary WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS debuts on Blu-ray and DVD July 21, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Written and directed by Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”) and Taika Waititi (Eagle vs. Shark), the film is a smart and witty send-up that follows an endearingly unhip quartet of vampires. Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS was also an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and more.

Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane—like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming roommate conflicts. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast and “comic acting of an extremely high order” (Wall Street Journal), WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is an original and wildly entertaining comedy.


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RICC Welcomes PETER CULLEN and FRANK WELKER aka OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON!

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Rhode Island Comic Con is excited to welcome the great Peter Cullen and the phenomenal Frank Welker to their 2015 Convention on November 6th - 8th in Providence, RI.

Peter is best known as the original voice of Optimus Prime in the Transformers 80's Cartoon series, and most other appearances thereafter, as well as Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers, and many other classic 80's and 90's cartoons.

Frank is best known as the voice of Megatron in the Transformers 80's Cartoon, the voice of Scooby-Doo and the voice of Garfield.

This is a rare appearance for the duo, and requires specialty tickets.  The duo will be appearing on Saturday and Sunday only.

Tickets are available in a limited quantity and go on sale at 12:00 pm today.

Make sure you get your tickets now before they are all gone!




For more details, visit ricomiccon.com
 #RICC2015


JURASSIC WORLD (review)

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Review by Clay N Ferno
Produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
Screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver,
Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
Story by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Based on Characters created by Michael Crichton
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio,
Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, B. D. Wong, Irrfan Khan


Time once again for the Dino DNA to shine!

Jurassic World is produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Legendary Pictures to splice 2015 CGI with Crichton and Spielberg’s original vision for the story. New director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) directs the picture starring Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation, Guardians of the Galaxy) alongside Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3, Terminator Salvation) and familiar faces Vincent D’Onofrio, Omar Sy, B. D. Wong (as Dr. Henry Wu), Judy Greer and Jake Johnson.


To be considered a sequel to the previous films, and not a reboot, Jurassic World brings the fantasy of bringing dinosaurs back to life to a brand new generation.

The excitement, danger, humor and thrill of the original Jurassic Park is all there.

Jurassic World is a wild ride worth the price of admission to Isla Nublar.

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Read an Exclusive Excerpt of (R)EVOLUTION by PJ Manney!

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Scientist Peter Bernhardt has dedicated his life to nanotechnology, the science of manipulating matter on the atomic scale. As the founder of Biogineers, he is on the cusp of revolutionizing brain therapies with microscopic nanorobots that will make certain degenerative diseases become a thing of the past. But after his research is stolen by an unknown enemy, seventy thousand people die in Las Vegas in one abominable moment. No one is more horrified than Peter, as this catastrophe sets in motion events that will forever change not only his life but also the course of human evolution.

Peter’s company is torn from his grasp as the public clamors for his blood. Desperate, he turns to an old friend, who introduces him to the Phoenix Club, a cabal of the most powerful people in the world. To make himself more valuable to his new colleagues, Peter infuses his brain with experimental technology, exponentially upgrading his mental prowess and transforming him irrevocably.

As he’s exposed to unimaginable wealth and influence, Peter’s sense of reality begins to unravel. Do the club members want to help him, or do they just want to claim his technology? What will they do to him once they have their prize? And while he’s already evolved beyond mere humanity, is he advanced enough to take on such formidable enemies and win?

 Sounds like a must read for the summer!  After the jump, check out an exclusive excerpt of the book!

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IMPERIUS REX! Namor, Marvel’s King of the Seas and First Mutant…Well, Kind Of…

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At a time where Marvel seems to be actively marginalizing mutants due to corporate pissing contests—cough cough, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver—it’s easy to forget the era when Marvel was creating new mutants every five minutes and even trying to make old characters into mutants just to goose those numbers.

One of those characters is Namor McKenzie, better known as the Sub-Mariner, or, alternately, that guy with permanent resting bitch face and tiny little wings on his ankles that wears a fishscale Speedo and screams, “Imperious Rex!,” every time he does so much a flex a bicep.

More like Imperius SEX, am I right?

Now, most readers know him as Marvel’s proudly advertised “First Mutant,” but is he?

Well, yes and no.

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FOG! Chats With KILL SHAKESPEARE Creators CONOR McCREERY and ANTHONY DEL COL

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Interview conducted by Stefan Blitz

This isn't the Shakespeare you read in high school.

But, then again, it is.  In their series, Kill Shakespeare, co-creators/writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col and artist Andy Belanger have turned the Bard on his head, reimagining the words and worlds of Shakespeare in placing them in a shared universe.

For comic book fans, Kill Shakespeare is both a fantastic read, but also a perfect entry point for non-comic fans to check out the medium.

Andy and Conor took some time out of their schedules to discuss their work on the book, as the first hardcover collection, The Backstage Edition, hits retailers and comic book specialty shops.


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MARSHALL AT THE MOVIES - JURASSIC WORLD

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By Marshall Julius

Here I am trying something new: Marshall at the Movies on video.

Besides blogging for Xtra-vision, I also review films every Saturday morning for BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Three Counties Radio. A producer I work with, Will, suggested I set up a YouTube channel, and the idea stuck.

Here’s my first attempt. A review of Jurassic World. Be kind!

Unlike most YouTube videos, I didn’t want it to look like it was shot in my living room, or bedroom. I had the idea to make my reviews location appropriate, so for Jurassic World, I ventured to London’s Natural History Museum (thanks to Martyna for the idea).

If you like the video, or at least see promise in the idea, do please subscribe to Marshall at the Movies on YouTube. You can also subscribe by clicking on the specs in the bottom right corner of the screen.

For now though, on with the show!

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HUMBLE BUNDLE Launches JIM HENSON Comics Bundle

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BOOM! Studios joins Humble Bundle in support of The Center for Puppetry Arts

The world of Jim Henson comes to Humble Bundle in a new comics bundle. BOOM! Studios has re-teamed with Humble to offer comics published by its imprint, Archaia, based on some of Henson's most famous creations including Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and the Eisner award-winning graphic novel Tale of Sand, adapted from one of Henson's unproduced screenplays.

Noteworthy creators who have contributed include Joshua Dysart, Kate Leth, Nate Cosby, Chris Eliopoulos, Marjorie Liu, Ron Marz, Jeff Parker, Ramón Pérez, former Henson conceptual designer Brian Froud, and many more.

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Chaos Theory : A Look Back At JURASSIC PARK 3

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It’s long overdue, but I think we all owe The Lost World an apology.

Previously I described The Lost World as a B movie in comparison to its predecessor. Well, if Lost World is a B movie, then Jurassic Park 3 is without question a C movie.

I mean, was the script even written before they started shooting?

Seems like Spielberg knew the right time to split from the series. This is the first one to not be based on Crichton’s source material and even David Koepp jumped ship so new writers were brought in to further the plot (including, oddly enough, Alexander Payne. Did he owe Universal a favor?).

I clearly know what I’m talking about seeing as I’m the proud owner of the first two Jurassic Park movies in a Special Edition Widescreen DVD 2-pack box set (super fan, right here). It’s fun to revisit them from time to time, typically back-to-back as the first often puts me in the mood for the second.

I never even considered owning Jurassic Park 3 (sorry, JP3), and for years even ignored its existence, not willing to recognize it as a continuation of the series.

I chose what was my ending and this was not it.

So how did I re-watch this one if I don’t own it, I hear you asking? After exploring all the free options I could think of and coming up short, I found the entire movie uploaded on YouTube. Shows how little Universal cares about protecting this particular IP.

I know that JP3 has its apologists.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS CHRONICLES Introduces and Alternate MAN OF STEEL

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Today, the second of Bruce Timm's alternate DC Universe animated shorts, was released via Machinima.   This series reimagines the DC icons prior to the feature animated film, Justice League: Gods and Monsters which is arriving on July 28th on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD.

In this short, Bomb, Timm pays homage to Akira, and introduces a different Son of Krypton; This Superman is the son of General Zod.


After the jump, check out the first Gods and Monsters short, Twisted, featuring a very different Batman, Kirk Langstrom, facing off against serial killer Harley Quinn.

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THE BABY: Ted Post’s 1973 Infantilism Fantasy Film

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By Generoso Fierro

For his output in 1973, Ted Post may go down as having the single most wildly eclectic year for an American director.

He scored a huge hit that year with Magnum Force, the second of Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” series about the somewhat racist San Francisco cop who shoots a lot of bad guys but still ends up pissing off his captain. Though critically panned, Magnum Force ended the year outgrossing the original film in the series by a bunch.

Ted also directed a young hunky Don Johnson and Don’s soon to be mother-in-law, Tippi Hedren, that same year in The Harrad Experiment, a pseudo-serious sexploitation take on the best selling novel of the same name about a Dr. Kinsey inspired college where students are encouraged to do the horizontal cha cha. Much to no one’s surprise, The Harrad Experiment went flaccid at the box office.

So, if you think that the two films I just referenced are wildly apart in themes, then allow me to introduce you to the third film that Mr. Post’s directed in 1973, a torrid tale of forced infantilism entitled, The Baby.

At the core of The Baby is bright young social worker Ann Gentry (Anjanette Comer) a dedicated young woman who gets the stunningly suburban Wadsworth family as her case.

The Wadsworths have a “mother” for the ages (Ruth Roman); her two oversexed daughters, Germaine (Marianna Hill) and Alba (Susanne Zenor) and their brother Baby (David Manzy), a grown man in diapers who is enabled by the Wadsworths to live in a state of perpetual newborn. Ann’s response, being that she is a seemingly normal state worker who soon realizes that Baby’s disfunction is not physical but conditional, is to get Baby some therapy so that he can stop sucking his thumb and pooping himself in his massive crib.

“No, I think that it’s your turn to change Baby.”

A crazy idea indeed, but mother always knows best and soon mother Wadsworth puts an end to Ann’s wild idea of turning her son into a grownup who could potentially leave the home and have a life of his own or at least a son that doesn’t need his bum bum talced thrice daily. I guess if our hero Ann investigated a bit further she could’ve had Baby legally taken away from the Wadsworths, what with his sisters occasionally supplying Baby with sexual enticement and the odd poke from a cattle prod.

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CHRISTOPHER LEE (1922-2015)

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Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

Check out the video below for a bit more of the late renaissance man.

The Retro Report: Eulogies Wanted For Classic TV Dads, Land of The LOST (GIRL), ROGUE NATION Could Use Some Classic Cameos & More!


Dark Humor: VEEP, Richard Splett, and Thoughts on Black Comedic Acting

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They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  In comedy, sometimes you can get a lot about a character just by the way they introduce themselves.

In Veep, a show filled with horrible introductions, (politicians are always meeting so many strangers), one by executive assistant Richard Splett (Sam Richardson) really left me rolling.

“Richard T. Splett,” he says as he shakes the hand of super-charismatic Sen. Tom James. Then, barely finishing that sentence, he follows with, “Don't know why I said 'T'; my middle name is John.”


Veep has become one of my favorite TV shows, and Splett, the ridiculously optimistic and inept bozo, is my second favorite character on it. (Ben Caffrey, the world-weary, occasionally terror-inducing White House chief of staff played with bleary-eyed intensity by Kevin Dunn, is my top pick.)

In all his cheeriness, Splett stands apart from the rest of the show’s super-cynical Washington insiders.

I am really into a character like Richard Splett, who always chooses the exact opposite of anything correct, yet keeps his poise by bumbling into the next disaster.

And each flameout sees him failing ever upward.

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Triple Shot: CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER #1, CLARENCE #1 & NEGATIVE SPACE #1

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Three new number ones this week for our Triple Shot!

Ming Doyle teams up with James Tynion IV for the DCYou take on Constantine: The Hellblazer, Liz Prince (Tomboy) and artist Evan Palmer (Munchkin) step into the world of Cartoon Network’s newest creation, Clarence and we preview next month’s Negative Space #1 from Ryan K Lindsay.


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FOG! Goes To The DANCES WITH FILMS Festival!

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By Lily and Generoso Fierro

As recent immigrants to Los Angeles from Boston, we have been basking in the wide array of film options here during our first month here. Many nights have been spent admiring the majestic edifice and classic programming of the historic Egyptian Theater and the comfy confines of The Silent Film Theater and the beautifully cultish Cinefamily programming to the 1st run art house offerings of the Sundance Theater on Sunset, there is always something on a screen that will pull us out of the house on any night of the week.

Shortly before our arrival here, we spent our final week in our former home gorging on new films at The Independent Film Festival of Boston, the premiere film festival in the city run by a talented and sweet staff of dedicated volunteers. The quality of the films this year was high as usual and they premiered more than a few films that will rank high on our best of lists for the year. Coming from such a positive festival experience, and excited to be living in such a vibrant film community here in Southern California, we were thrilled to get the chance to attend and cover our first film festival here in Los Angeles, the 18th Annual Dances With Films Festival which was held at the Chinese Six Theaters located next to the landmark that is the formerly named “Mann’s Chinese Theater,” now the TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood from May 28th to June 7th.

Since 1998, the Dances With Films Festival (their name being a play on the mass of festivals that end in “dance”) has boasted a “strong commitment to indie films.” And unlike the other indie film festivals that carry the dance in their titles, you will not see an established director or star during your attendance. We greatly admire their staunch commitment to independently produced features but also we were aware of the consequences of such an ethos and thus we prepared ourselves for a festival lineup that would potentially include films that could be more than a bit rough around the edges or over produced to compensate for a weak script or acting. The payoff being the promise of seeing some early work by talents like Will Sheffer and Mark Olsen, two alums of DWFs who went on to the create the HBO hit series, Big Love and Getting On

During the ten day festival Lily and I attended attended four shorts packages, and eleven features, both documentary and narrative, and have selected the three films that we enjoyed the most.


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FOG! Asks Comedians KEITH LOWELL JENSEN and JOHNNY TAYLOR, 20 QUESTIONS!

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Interview conducted by Stefan Blitz

Like a modern day Odd Couple, the Sacramento-based comedians from the Stand Up! Records roster, Keith Lowell Jensen and Johnny Taylor have hit the road on an off kilter Summer jaunt, dubbed The Special Snowflake Tour. The tour, which started in May and runs through July, will be filmed for a documentary and is the duo’s third annual trip together.

What makes this tour coupling so ‘odd’ is that much like a indie band circa the year punk broke, The Special Snowflake Tour is less about playing established comedy clubs than about finding alternative venues that often don’t have comedy on their roster.

I had the opportunity to ask the duo 20 questions.  Check out their responses after the jump.


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Win MONSTERS: DARK CONTINENT on Blu-ray!

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Taking place 10 years after the events of its predecessor, Monsters: Dark Continent is set against the backdrop of a world proliferated by “Infected Zones.” An insurgency of fearsome monsters lord over these regions and threaten humanity. The film follows four fresh army recruits as they embark on a life-altering mission in the Middle East, through the heart of monster territory to save a group of fellow soldiers.


And we're giving away three copies!

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