Watch a Clip from MAKING OF THE MOB: NEW YORK and Win a Blu-ray!

October 16, 2015, 3:30 pm

≫ Next: The Road To Episode VII: Rebels, Chewie and a Shattered Empire

≪ Previous: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. Arrives The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Blu-ray Combo Pack or DVD on 11/17 or Own It Early on Digital HD on 10/27

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The Making of The Mob: New York is the unflinching look at the rough and tough rise of the most successful and brutal organized crime syndicate ever. Beginning  in 1905 and spanning over 50 years to trace the rise of Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and other notorious gangsters from their beginnings as a neighborhood gang of teenagers to murderous entrepreneurs and bootleggers who organized the criminal underworld, turning the Mafia into an American institution.

This is a compelling and fascinating real life drama that’s presented as big and bold as any Hollywood blockbuster. The Making of The Mob: New York will have you riveted with each explosive episode as it explores canny criminal minds and brutish no-nonsense killers that will stop at nothing for power. This is part of our history - the dark side of the American Dream - told in an unforgettable and exciting new way.

AMC recently announced“The Making of The Mob has been renewed for a second season of eight episodes. The Making of The Mob: Chicago, which will follow the rise and fall of iconic gangster Al Capone, is set to premiere in 2016.

After the jump check out an exclusive clip from this release discussing therapy and organized crime, plus enter to win one of three copies that we're giving away!

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The Road To Episode VII: Rebels, Chewie and a Shattered Empire

October 16, 2015, 4:15 pm

≫ Next: MARSHALL AT THE MOVIES - CRIMSON PEAK

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Star Wars fans potentially have a lot to be excited about. If the rumors around the holonet are to be believed, the full trailer for The Force Awakens will be released on Monday, October 19th. Further reports claim that the trailer will debut during Monday Night Football and released online shortly thereafter along with a new logo for the film which will replace the current design with the title wedged in between “Star” and “Wars”.

We are 62 two days away from the film’s release, and there is still no official synopsis. We don’t yet know what the movie is about or the stakes that are involved. Hopefully this trailer will answer some of those questions without giving too much away.

This week, there were two new comic books and a kind of, sort of, season premiere. While the major canonical elements were a little on the light side, they were still a lot of fun and provided some insight as to what we can look forward to on The Road to Episode VII.

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MARSHALL AT THE MOVIES - CRIMSON PEAK

October 16, 2015, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Huayi Brothers Media Corp Partners With Michael Uslan on T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS Franchise

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By Marshall Julius

Tomb it may concern: A gravely serious Marshall at the Movies exhumes its views on Guillermo del Toro’s red-hued, Gothic, ghost-strewn melodrama Crimson Peak.

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.

Now, on with the show!

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Huayi Brothers Media Corp Partners With Michael Uslan on T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS Franchise

October 16, 2015, 5:45 pm

≫ Next: Marvel's ANT-MAN Arrives on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD!

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Veteran Producer & Originator of Batman Film Franchise to Lead Major Chinese Studio’s Initial Foray into Super Hero Movies, TV, Gaming Using Celebrated 50-Year Comic Book as Centerpiece

The sky was clear at New York Comic Con, yet T.H.U.N.D.E.R. dominated the news of the day as Huayi Brothers Media Corporation and Michael Uslan, originator and executive producer of the Batman film franchise, and producer David Uslan announced the first-ever branded super hero franchise to be backed by and developed with a major Chinese media company – T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

To the delight of a capacity crowd celebrating the 50th Anniversary T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents panel within New York Comic Con at the Javits Center, the Uslans and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation President James Wang made the announcement to expand the treasured franchise beyond comic books and into films, television, gaming and a host of other entities.

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents major motion picture is expected to hit theaters worldwide in 2018. Also present for the announcement was franchise producer David Uslan, who along with Michael Uslan have formed the production company, SHANGHOLLYWOOD, LLC; T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents executive producer David M. Matthews and the film’s screenwriters Ben Lustig & Jake Thornton; and representatives of the CEA Group, a partner in the franchise with a minority stake who arranged the deal between the Uslans and Huayi Brothers.

“The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves – aka T.H.U.N.D.E.R. – Agents has a 50-year history of enthralling stories of true international heroes,” said Michael Uslan, executive producer of every Batman film since Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989.

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Marvel's ANT-MAN Arrives on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD!

October 16, 2015, 6:30 pm

≫ Next: Gifts for Geeks – Great Ideas to Inspire You

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AVAILABLE ON 3D BLU-RAY COMBO, BLU-RAY, DVD, DIGITAL SD AND ON-DEMAND 12/8

GET IT EARLY ON DIGITAL 3D, DIGITAL HD 
AND DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE 11/17

Includes Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Making-of Featurettes, Gag Reel and Audio Commentary

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from ruthless villains! With humanity’s fate in the balance, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a daring heist against insurmountable odds. Filled with humor, awesome special effects and exclusive bonus features, this action-packed adventure takes you to new levels of pulse-pounding excitement!

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Gifts for Geeks – Great Ideas to Inspire You

October 19, 2015, 7:59 am

≫ Next: HBO Announces TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON 2 For DVD, Blu and Digital HD; BALLERS and THE BRINK on Digital HD

≪ Previous: Marvel's ANT-MAN Arrives on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD!

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With Christmas now just around the corner, many of us will be preparing our budgets and shopping lists so that we can start buying gifts for friends and family members. However, for some people this is something that can be notoriously difficult, as not everyone is easy to buy for. While some people are perfectly happy with gifts such as perfumes, chocolates and alcohol there are others where you need to put far more thought into what you buy.

If you are going to be buying a gift for the special ‘geek’ in your life, then you don’t need to worry.

While you may not see what you’re looking for on the supermarket shelves, there are plenty of great gifts out there that are perfect for geeks.


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HBO Announces TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON 2 For DVD, Blu and Digital HD; BALLERS and THE BRINK on Digital HD

October 19, 2015, 7:00 am

≫ Next: More Lisbeth Salander, Taking a Readcation, Spooky Books & More!

≪ Previous: Gifts for Geeks – Great Ideas to Inspire You

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"We Get the World We Deserve"

TRUE DETECTIVE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

Hit Series Starring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams & Taylor Kitsch
Debuts on Blu-ray with Digital HD & DVD on January 5, 2016
Early Digital HD Release Set for November 9, 2015

The hit HBO drama series True Detective returns with a new case in which a bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California. One of the most-talked-about and most-watched shows of the summer (averaging 11 million viewers for the season), True Detective: The Complete Second Season will debut on Blu-ray ($79.98; also includes a Digital HD copy) and DVD ($59.99) on January 5, 2016, giving fans a chance to go behind the scenes with a new star-studded cast and to dig deeper into the mystery of Season 2. Both box sets include exclusive, never-before-seen bonus content including a 30-minute look at the production of a pivotal shoot out scene in episode 4.

Ahead of its Blu-ray and DVD release in January, True Detective: The Complete Second Season will also receive an early Digital HD release on November 9, 2015, giving fans who can't wait until the new year a chance to re-watch the season or discover it for the first time. Pricing for the digital release is $22.99 SD and $29.99 HD, where available.

Featuring an all new cast, Season 2 stars Colin Farrell (Golden Globe winner for In Bruges) as Ray Velcoro, a troubled detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him. Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers) portrays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner. Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris) plays Ani Bezzerides, a sheriff's detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves. Taylor Kitsch (HBO's The Normal Heart) portrays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and a highway patrol motorcycle officer, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened.

Blu-ray and DVD Bonus Content Includes:

• Making The Vinci Massacre - An exclusive and detailed 30-minute look at the production of the pivotal shoot out in episode 4 (also available with early Digital HD release)

• A Look Inside True Detective - A behind-the-scenes look at the production featuring interviews with the four stars

• True Detective's California - Evocative aerial images of incredible California landscapes, scored by T Bone Burnett (also available with early Digital HD release)

• Two Audio Commentaries featuring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, series creator/executive producer/writer Nic Pizzolatto and executive producer Scott Stephens

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More Lisbeth Salander, Taking a Readcation, Spooky Books & More!

October 19, 2015, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Win Kino-Lorber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Blu-ray!

≪ Previous: HBO Announces TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON 2 For DVD, Blu and Digital HD; BALLERS and THE BRINK on Digital HD

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By Alex C. Telander

Literary Pumpkins
Here are some truly awesome book-related Jack O'Lanterns.

Scary Book Award
And continuing with the theme we have 11 examples of some truly scary book art.

Copperfield's News
It's great to hear that the independent bookstore chain I've worked at for a number of years (at two stores) is doing well and opening its 8th store!

Read more »

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Win Kino-Lorber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Blu-ray!

October 19, 2015, 11:00 am

≫ Next: GOTHAM: Season 2 Rise of The Villains: First Impressions

≪ Previous: More Lisbeth Salander, Taking a Readcation, Spooky Books & More!

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A forerunner of the American horror film, and one of the most lavish productions of the silent cinema, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has inspired countless remakes and imitations. But none of its successors can rival the mesmerizing blend of romance and mystery that haunts every frame of the Lon Chaney original. This edition presents the 1929 theatrical version, restored from archival 35mm elements by Film Preservation Associates. It is highlighted by the Technicolor Bal Masque sequence (in which the Phantom interrupts the revelry wearing the scarlet robes of the Red Death), as well as meticulously hand-colored sequences (replicating the Handschiegl Color Process). The film is presented at two different historically-accurate projection speeds, each with two different soundtrack options. Also included is the 1925 theatrical version, which survives only in poor-quality prints, but contains scenes that were removed from the 1929 release version.

Below check out the legendary unmasking sequence, as it appears in the 2015 Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with music by the Alloy Orchestra.


And we're giving away three copies!

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GOTHAM: Season 2 Rise of The Villains: First Impressions

October 19, 2015, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: VOODOO HORRORS FROM CLASSIC CINEMA, Part I

≪ Previous: Win Kino-Lorber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Blu-ray!

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It’s a new season in the GCPD. All our favorite characters are back from the inaugural season minus Fish Mooney.

So yeah, ALL our favorite characters are back.

Gotham was beginning to find its way in the latter half of season one and by the start of season two, the show has definitely round its rhythm. We are now getting more intricate storylines that feel more like a serialized comic book than a one-and-done procedural Law & Order knockoff with nods to the Batman mythos.

This season kicked off with our heroes down and out, Gordon demoted to traffic cop duty while Bullock bartends, having quit the force. But a deal with the Penguin and the murder of their commissioner is all is takes to get the partners back on track.


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VOODOO HORRORS FROM CLASSIC CINEMA, Part I

October 19, 2015, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: FOG! Chats With THE FINAL GIRLS Director Todd Strauss-Schulson

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When we think of horror movies with a voodoo theme, we probably think first of 80s movies like Angel Heart, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and maybe Child's Play, but voodoo's movie heyday was actually back in the 30s and 40s.

Let's briefly define "voodoo" and then list these voodoo films from decades past.

Voodoo is somewhat hard to define, but broadly it refers to a collection of spiritual practices that originated in various parts of Africa and got consolidated among Haitian slaves during the 1700s.

In the Caribbean it is known as "obeah."

Beliefs vary among practitioners, but a common tenet is that all things are interconnected, so we can affect our own destinies - and others' destinies - if we conduct the proper ritual with the proper materials.

God is usually distant, but there are spirits all around us - and they may do our bidding if we please them.  An object containing a captured spirit is a "wanga" ("ouanga").  Music and dancing were common requirements for magic to work.

In actual past and present practice, voodoo is heavily mixed with Catholicism and most of its charms are happy and protective.  But in the movies, voodoo is almost always portrayed as sinister.

Zombie creation, like much of what we associate with voodoo, has its origins in Haiti.  It was considered black magic rather than real voodoo, but voodoo priests could dabble in black magic from time to time.

In real life, "zombies" were probably living victims drugged by black magic "sorcerers" into a state of delirium and suggestibility.  But since some victims would fall unconscious before awaking in delirium, zombies became popularly associated with the undead.

In cinema, voodoo zombies resemble robotic servants.  They usually have a mission, so they are more purposeful than the wandering flesh-eating zombies that came into their own with Night of the Living Dead.

The heyday of voodoo movies was the 1930s and 40s, and as we'll see, below, zombies grew increasingly prominent over the years.

In a future article, we'll look at zombie movies from the 50s-70s.  In this article, we'll do the 30s and 40s.


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FOG! Chats With THE FINAL GIRLS Director Todd Strauss-Schulson

October 19, 2015, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Win SKIN TRAFFIK on DVD!

≪ Previous: VOODOO HORRORS FROM CLASSIC CINEMA, Part I

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Written by Sharon Knolle

The Final Girls is a funny, clever parody of '80s slasher movies like Friday the 13th, but it's also a fairly poignant story of the loss of a parent.

Surprisingly, the balance works.

Taissa Farmiga stars as Max, who loses her “scream queen” mother (Malin Akerman) in the film's opening scene. Years later, she's still grieving and is reluctant to appear at a revival of her mother's horror camp classic Camp Bloodbath. When a fire breaks out in the theater, she slashes the screen to escape and gets sucked into the movie itself!

Now, along with her friends (including Alexander Ludwig and Nina Dobrev), she's got to survive the film's Jason Voorhees-like killer, but even more importantly, keep her mother from dying all over again.


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Win SKIN TRAFFIK on DVD!

October 19, 2015, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: BACK TO THE FUTURE is a Perfect Film

≪ Previous: FOG! Chats With THE FINAL GIRLS Director Todd Strauss-Schulson

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SKIN TRAFFIK, directed by Ara Paiaya (The Suppressor) and written by Adam Davidson (Maximum Impact) and Ara Paiaya (The Suppressor). Mickey Rourke (Ashby, The Wrestler, Sin City) leads the superb cast featuring Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill, Blade Runner), Dominque Swain (Fatal Instinct, Alpha Dog), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables), and Jeff Fahey (Dawn Patrol, Planet Terror). Audiences can own the action thriller, SKIN TRAFFIK on DVD, On Demand and Early EST on October 13, 2015.

A jaded hit man regains his humanity in this dark tale of redemption and sacrifice set amidst a brutal underworld in which daily survival is not so much a skill but an instinct.

And we're giving away three copies!

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BACK TO THE FUTURE is a Perfect Film

October 21, 2015, 5:00 am

≫ Next: October 21, 2015 –BACK TO THE FUTURE Day

≪ Previous: Win SKIN TRAFFIK on DVD!

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Written by Scott Fogg

Back to the Future is a perfect film.

I do not say that hyperbolically.  It is a factual statement.  When talking about movies, it’s one of my favorite statements to make it.  In fact, I love it so much, I’m going to say it again.

Back to the Future is a perfect film.

Watch it again and notice how every moment of every scene either is telling you something about the characters or is progressing the story.  Every set-up has a pay-off.  There’s not a single scene you can delete that would make the movie a stronger, better film.

Do you know why?

Because Back to the Future is a perfect film.

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October 21, 2015 –BACK TO THE FUTURE Day

October 21, 2015, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Silence, Earthling. My Name is Darth Vader.

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Written by Steve Segal

At precisely 4:29 p.m. on the day of October 21, 2015, Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrive from 1985 in the Doc’s souped-up DeLorean time machine.

The 2015 depicted in Back to the Future Part II (“BTTF2”) is a shiny but bleak world where technology has begun to run amok and human interface is subsidiary to being wired in.

It’s taken twenty-five years for the future to catch up with BTTF2, so let’s consider some of the movie’s ideas and technological trappings that have actually come to pass.

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Silence, Earthling. My Name is Darth Vader.

October 21, 2015, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Back To The Locations of BACK TO THE FUTURE

≪ Previous: October 21, 2015 –BACK TO THE FUTURE Day

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Written by Steven Scott

For some, Back to the Future is their Star Wars.

Not me. Star Wars is my Star Wars.

But as far as awesome movie trilogies that defined my childhood go, BTTF is a close second (sorry, Indy).

I’ve had many a relationship that was bonded over a mutual love for those movies. A former co-worker of mine and I would trade BTTF quotes throughout the workday (you’d be surprised at how often “but your kids are gonna love it” and “that’s like a baby’s toy!” can work themselves into everyday conversation).

I honestly can’t remember the first time I saw Back to the Future, but I remember watching it a lot on a VHS tape recorded off an HBO screening. If I remember correctly, that VHS had three movies recorded on it, but instead of Parts II and III it was Teen Wolf and Three O’Clock High (a forgotten 80’s classic).

I wore out that tape pretty quickly.

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Back To The Locations of BACK TO THE FUTURE

October 21, 2015, 8:00 am

≫ Next: 88 Miles Per Hour, and No Roads Required

≪ Previous: Silence, Earthling. My Name is Darth Vader.

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Written by Charles Knauf

It was a rainy day in Oregon, 1990, when the third Back to the Future came out.

My family was on our yearly vacation and I was hanging out with my cousins when they mentioned they’re having a triple feature of all three films. I was so excited – finally, I’ll be able to see how this series ends.

The irony of this was the film’s exteriors, those not in the backlot of Universal Studios, were filmed less than 20 minutes from where I lived. However, I watched the films in another state almost 700 miles away.

Regardless, the production did a pretty great job filming in places that were as nondescript as possible, making its setting accessible to all.

However, having grown up in the same areas or near the same areas that they filmed Back to the Future makes this film, to me, a time capsule of the East Side and Valley of Los Angeles.

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88 Miles Per Hour, and No Roads Required

October 21, 2015, 9:00 am

≫ Next: BACK TO THE FUTURE's Heavy Nostalgia

≪ Previous: Back To The Locations of BACK TO THE FUTURE

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Written by Charles J. Baserap

“When this baby hits 88 miles per hour…you’re gonna see some serious shit.”

– Dr. Emmett Brown

Long before I knew the reality that going 88 miles per hour in my car, DeLorean or otherwise, was likely to either get me written up for reckless driving or piss people off on I-95 mad at me for not going 89 mph, I became captivated by the idea that a mere automobile could be repurposed into a time machine to visit the distant past or the far flung future.

When Back to the Future hit the theaters in 1985, I was only six years old, but just as Raiders of the Lost Ark had instilled an interest in archaeology in me and Star Wars had made me fascinated with space, the movie awoke something within me, a part of my burgeoning imagination that was soon to be mixed with the world of comic books and fantasy, a part that still resonates today.

This car just SCREAMED 1980s fun.

I didn’t understand all of the random science, flawed as it obviously was, but I understood the broad strokes and the idea that it could be possible to go back in time and see what life was like for my parents growing up, or potentially even further.

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BACK TO THE FUTURE's Heavy Nostalgia

October 21, 2015, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Back to the Future #1 (comic book review)

≪ Previous: 88 Miles Per Hour, and No Roads Required

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Written by Todd Sokolove

MARTY

Oh, this is heavy, Doc. I mean, it's 

just like I was just here yesterday.

DOC BROWN

You were here yesterday, Marty, you were!

- Back to the Future Part II

While you were busy counting up all the ways in which October 21, 2015 isn't the future you were promised, I was looking for a college essay from my past.

Back in film school, had a professor who was obsessed with applying semiotic analysis to cinema. He seriously ruined The Wizard of Oz for me by connecting Dorothy's ruby red shoes to her blossoming sexuality. The Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion represented the types of men she would encounter on her sexual journey to adulthood before meeting "the one" who would send her home (orgasm).

I had a feeling Freud wasn't in Kansas any more.

When it came time to turn in my mid-term paper, naturally I jumped at the opportunity to impress my professor with a tri-level analysis of the entire Back to the Future trilogy. I called it "Whoa Doc, This Is Heavy."

I wanted to share the paper verbatim with you, but in true irony, it's on a floppy disk and I'm without an external drive at the moment.

I can share with you two things I've learned about the beloved action-comedy franchise:

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Back to the Future #1 (comic book review)

October 21, 2015, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Jesus Take The Wheel (But Keep it Under 88 MPH)

≪ Previous: BACK TO THE FUTURE's Heavy Nostalgia

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Review by Atlee Greene

Back to the Future #1

Writer: Bob Gale, John Barber, Erik Burnham

Artist: Brent Schoonover, Dan Schoening

Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick, Luis Antonio Delgado

Inker: David Witt

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Price: $3.99

Release Date: 10/21/15

Through the means of artistic expression, Robert Zemeckis told the world that on October 21, 2015, Nike power laces, Pepsi Perfect, and a slew of other items would be everyday consumer products.

The Cubs have a shot at winning the World Series, but they’re currently down three games in the NLCS.

Even though we didn’t get the future promised by the famed director; writer and Back to the Future co-creator Bob Gale takes us back in time with a new comic book series that examines untold tales and alternate timelines.

This first installment takes us back to the moment that spawned everything we know about this pop culture phenomenon: the day when Doc Brown and Marty McFly first meet.

In the film, you knew from the opening credit sequence that they were friends without being given any explanation. Who else but a good friend would let someone wreck their clock-filled laboratory with a highly amplified guitar riff?

Read more »