Available Now

Trolls

The colorful, richly textured Troll Village is full of optimistic Trolls, who are always ready to sing, dance and party. When the comically pessimistic Bergens invade, Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overly-cautious, curmudgeonly Branch (Justin Timberlake) set off on an epic journey to rescue her friends.  Their mission is full of adventure and mishaps, as this mismatched duo try to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.

From Shrek franchise veterans Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn, Trolls features the voice talents of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Christine Baranski, Russell Brand, Stefani, John Cleese, James Corden, Jeffrey Tambor and Ron Funches.

The Lovers and the Despot

The Lovers and the Despot brings to light the true story about the kidnapping of South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee and filmmaker Shin Sang-ok by one of the world’s most notorious tyrants, Kim Jong-il​, in 1978​. From directors Robert Cannan (Three Miles North of Molkom) and Ross Adam (“Hunderby”), the documentary traces the love story between Choi and Shin, their wildly successful film careers prior to their kidnappings and their lives in captivity. Featuring never-before-seen or heard archival footage and audio recordings with Kim Jong-il, the thrilling melodrama unfolds a story that surpasses even the couple’s own creative making.

Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So

Born to a wealthy merchant in Canton, So Chan is pampered—but smart and ambitious—and about to become the Emperor’s top Martial Arts Warrior. But when he finds himself dragged into a conspiracy between two political powers in the imperial court, he loses everything, including his family and almost his life. With the help of the beggar gang chief and his daughter—plus a healthy dose of Chinese liquor—So Chan grasps the full essence of the long lost martial art skill the Drunken Fist to become a proud and driven Beggar So, determined to get his revenge and find the love of his life.

Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-ying

A quiet and honest physician, Wong Kei-ying spends his life upholding medical ethics and saving lives while avoiding conflicts and politics until he finds himself tricked into assisting Wei, the ruthless and treacherous new governor of Canton, in a bid to wrest control of the city’s opium business from a local gang. When his mentor leaves him with illustrations of the legendary martial art skill Shadowless Kick, Wong must master the skill and use it in a final attempt to take down Wei.

Justice League Dark

When innocent civilians begin committing unthinkable crimes across Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond, Batman must call upon mystical counterparts to eradicate this demonic threat to the planet. Enter Justice League Dark, reluctantly led by the Hellblazer himself, John Constantine. Like Batman, Constantine is a cunning, often cynical loner who is the best at his chosen profession – but quickly realizes the sinister forces plaguing the planet will require help from other supernatural alliances. Forming a new “league” with sorceress Zatanna, otherworldly Deadman, and Jason Blood and his powerful alter ego Etrigan the Demon, this team of Dark Arts specialists must unravel the mystery of Earth’s supernatural plague and contend with the rising, powerful villainous forces behind the siege – before it’s too late for all of mankind.

Actor Matt Ryan, who set the standard for the role of Constantine on the Warner Bros. live-action television series, returns to the role in animated form alongside Jason O’Mara as Batman, Camilla Luddington as Zatanna, Nicholas Turturro as Deadman, Ray Chase as Jason Blood/Etrigan, Roger R. Cross as John Stewart/Swamp Thing, Jeremy Davie as Ritchie Simpson, Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Jerry O’Connell as Superman, Enrico Colantoni as Felix Faust, and Alfred Molina as Destiny.

In development for over two and a half years, Wild Times: An Oral History of WildStorm Studios, a book chronicling the 18 year history of WildStorm Productions, is finishing up it’s Kickstarter campaign this week.

With over 75 participants and close to 80 hours of interview transcripts all combined into a chronological oral history format, Wild Times looks at the studio’s history through the journeys of the people that lived it. Equal parts an inside glance at the inner workings of the comic book industry, a look back at WildStorm’s publishing history as well as overviews of the careers of some of comics’ brightest stars when their paths crossed with WildStorm, Wild Times provides a unique glimpse at the impact of the studio from its beginnings in the early ’90s through its closing in 2010.

FOG! spoke with author Joseph Hedges about the project.

*  *  *  *  *

FOG!: Hi Joseph! Congratulations on the successful funding of the Kickstarter! Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Joseph Hedges: By day, I work in the business office for a private college so it’s number crunching to my heart’s content. I have a bachelor’s degree in Corporate Finance as well. I’ve been a comics reader since I was a kid in the late ‘80’s/early ‘90s so the Image Comics boom was my era. The WildStorm titles and characters were my favorites and I’ve carried that affinity ever since.

What was the genesis of the book?

-My favorite hobby is reading and one format that I’ve really grown to love is that of the Oral History. Oral Histories take multiple interviews and edit them together so it bounces from one interviewee to the next. If you do it right, you don’t even need to include the questions they are answering because it flows very organically. There have been some great oral history books about Saturday Night Live and ESPN and Brian Michael Bendis even wrote a fake one about The Avengers! As silly as it sounds, an Oral History book about WildStorm was something I absolutely would love to read so I just decided to do it.

In what ways, if any, did WildStorm differentiate itself from the other Image studios?

Like most Image fans, I was also reading the Liefeld Extreme books and Silvestri Top Cow books. They were all building connected universes, but for me, WildStorm was just doing it a little better than the rest. There was a great feeling being in on the ground floor of something and learning all the new story bits as the comics came out. And WildStorm had all the cool trading cards too! They continued to push the envelope well after the “Image Boom” so I never strayed.

You interviewed over 75 people for the book, but I can’t help but notice that neither Jim Lee nor Brandon Choi were included. Were they approached? Did they have any particular reason why they didn’t want to participate? What about the other Image founders?

I contacted a LOT of WildStorm alums- both studio folks and freelancers and I’m thrilled with being able to say that I interviewed eighty people for the book. Naturally, the acceptance rate was never going to be 100% and I’m not going to specify personal responses or interactions but what I can say is that even without Mr. Lee or Mr. Choi, I’m confident that readers will enjoy what they find within the pages.

There seems to be a very palpable community among the WildStorm alumni. What do you think set WildStorm apart as a publisher?

It was certainly the environment of such young artists learning their craft with others like them all while being in the same room as artists that they themselves were such huge fans of. Many that I interviewed compared it to that of a college experience.

What are a few of the surprising revelations you discovered in your interviews?

I can’t really pinpoint a specific item or two but I will say that the chapters that reflect the transition when the studio was sold to DC were great because you really see it from the perspectives of people in different roles, different age groups and at different points in their career.

Any plans for a follow up book?

Ha! So this book stops at the closing of the studio in 2010 so after that was the characters popping up in DC’s New 52 as well as the new title coming from Warren Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt in just a few short weeks! That might be something fun to tackle but I won’t lie, a book like this is a LOT of work and doing it on your own takes a lot of energy and time and money.

By the time the book is in readers’ hands it will be right around three years since I started it. And I worked on it constantly with all the time I had outside of my day job and family commitments. But hey, if any publishers or other studios are interested in contacting me about doing something for them, that’s a horse of a different color!

What are you currently geeking out over?

I have a HUGE pile of books and comics in my “post-book-release queue” that I cannot wait to dive into but I always, always make time for Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark and Thief of Thieves that Andy Diggle just finished a great run on with series mainstay Shawn Martinbrough. And if you’ll allow me, I’ll go off book for a second and say that I saw two amazing shows on Broadway this past year, the musical Waitress (based on the movie) and The Front Page– a play with an absolutely stellar cast!

The Kickstarter Ends This Week!  To Pledge, Click HERE!

     Woman: What shall I call you?
     Shatter: Shatter.
     Woman: That’s not a name.
     Shatter: I know…it’s more like a way of life.

— completely unironic dialogue from Shatter, 1975

When I worked at a video rental store in the early 1990s (a.k.a. “The Golden Age”), the martial arts movies of Cynthia Rothrock were enormously popular.

China O’Brien, Lady Dragon, Rage and Honor, Tiger Claws all spawned sequels and were constantly rented.

What was it about her appeal?

She wasn’t just “cute”—she was a very accomplished martial artist, and it was very obvious when you watched her movies. (Also, she apparently inspired the character Sonya Blade in the Mortal Kombat video game, which is no small shakes).

There was something else about Rothrock’s films that characterized the bulk of “budget” action offerings for many decades up to that time: they had a sort of genuineness that many of today’s “love letters” to the genre don’t (or can’t) embody. There was little self-referentiality, “apology,” or winks to the camera acknowledging how ludicrous the proceedings were. And the customers of the store I worked at responded to those films the most, with multiple viewings and unshakeable loyalty to the B-movie actors and actresses who entertained them.

So who better than Rothock to narrate a kung-fu documentary from equally popular 90’s-era video store mainstay Full Moon Pictures?

Fists of Fury is a compilation of trailers and clips from classic (I use this term loosely) martial arts films mostly from the 1970s. To be clear, this is far more a compilation movie in the sense of That’s Entertainment or Terror in the Aisles than a documentary proper. The clips are grouped by themes like “chicks in kung-fu movies” and “weird props,” with Rothrock giving a short intro before each section.

Probably the most interesting section to me was the one on the rash of “Bruce Lee clones” in the wake of the celebrated actor’s passing in 1973—a subgenre of martial arts films known as “Bruceploitation”. These were movies starring actors who marginally resembled Lee (the unique haircut helped), with pseudonyms like “Bruce Le” and “Bruce Li.” Shamelessly presenting these actors as if they were the real Bruce Lee come back to life, one Bruceploitation film’s trailer even went so far as to add second-long, almost subliminal photos of the real deal in-between the movie clips.

My biggest impression when watching Fists of Fury was that these were movies the likes of we’d never quite see again—particularly regarding the more “outré” films showcased in the documentary, such as the 1978 Bruceploitation flick Enter The Fat Dragon, 1976’s bizarre Master Of The Flying Guillotine, and the star-studded Grindhouse-ready 1979 action movie Jaguar Lives. How could films like these ever be made today without a heavy sense of irony and a constant self-awareness of the exploitation fodder from which they came?

In Fists of Fury, there is an utter lack of the sort of self-referential Tarantino-style riffs we are so used to in a world of Kill Bill and Kung Fury. Even the Bruceploitation films, created specifically to reference earlier, better (presumably; I have not seen a full-length one) movies, are presented not as campy jokes (OK, minus Enter The Fat Dragon) but as just another action film to devour. These movies boil cinematic entertainment down to their most basic, universal crowd-pleasing parts: heroes, villains, fighting, sex, gore, and some slapstick humor. All this, minus a hipper-than-thou postmodern filter designed to ultimately shout from the mountaintops that one is more “sophisticated” than all that.

I did go into viewing Fists of Fury hoping for it to provide me a bit more context on the movies, though the intros by Rothock are tongue-in-cheek fun. This would be the perfect movie to watch casually with friends, put on during a party, or just get lost into by yourself. It’s an excellent intro into the heart of the martial arts genre, and will hopefully spur further viewing.

Fists of Fury is available now on DVD. Fans can get their copy at Full Moon Direct, on Full Moon Entertainment’s Amazon Channel and via FullMoonStreaming.com

As this column will likely post late Monday, it will still technically be January which means it’s not too late to throw out one more post with a “new year” theme to it. I’ve been thinking about ways to change up my tabletop gaming this year–trying new types of games, new styles of play, expanding my interaction with the gaming world, and so forth.

With that in mind, here are a few ways you, too, can shake up your gaming for the rest of the year.

Try a new genre

What’s on your shelf? A lot of resource management games? Every version of Pandemic made? Zombie survival games? Rows of Dungeons & Dragons books? Why not switch it up a bit this year.

Try out a game genre that you’ve seen, maybe even been curious about, but have never tried. This could be the year you try a collectable trading card game. Maybe instead of chasing after giants, you and your roleplaying pals decide to head out to the outer rim of the galaxy and hunt down space pirates.

There is a lot out there. Walk into a game store, or even just the board game section of Barnes & Noble, and you’ll find half a dozen or more games with pirate themes. I’ve lost count of the number of card games out there–both collectable and standard. If you’re a dedicated deck builder gamer, maybe this is the time to try something wholly different — like Flux or Quao. If you’ve been mapping out adventures with graph paper for decades, it could be time to try out one of those massive RPG board games with all the miniatures and encounter boards already set up.

Get out of your gaming rut and take a chance on something new.

See what’s on Kickstarter or small press

Oh my god… Kickstarter. Has there been any greater force than that for the renaissance of tabletop games? In my last column, I mentioned Exploding Kittens and Joking Hazard as two wildly successful Kickstarter games. Other recent big hits include Scythe, Zombicide, Dark Souls, Kingdom Death, Conan, Massive Darkness, and Mythic Battles: Pantheon. Each of these games had thousands of backers. If you missed out on backing a project, most become available for order after backer fulfillment, and many find their way to local game stores.

Kickstarter is giving us more than just cool games, but also innovative gaming supplements and accessories. There are all sorts of neat items available to enhance our gaming experience from dice towers and miniatures to campaign settings and game storage.

The small press revolution has also led to a wealth of options for RPG players and gamemasters. I’ve been finding myself at DriveThruRPG.net a lot this past year where I can find all sorts of affordable PDF files useful for game settings, RPG systems, and more.

It seems to be where a lot of the gaming publications that might have once been print publications have gone to now for distribution. There, you’ll find loads of thoughtful articles on gaming and ways to mix up your gaming sessions.

Likewise, there are small press publishers putting out supplemental material for games like Pathfinder and the upcoming Starfinder games. Companies like Green Ronin are pumping out new game settings and supplemental materials for all sorts of RPGs including their own. There are gaming guides that cross multiple systems, and I’ve been seeing a number of books about the history of the hobby. This is not stuff you’d easily find in regular bookstores, but fairly easy to find via Google, Amazon, or advertised on Facebook. Join some gaming groups on Facebook and you’ll see a lot of notices about new projects coming from independent producers.

Play with secrets

This is one for you tabletop RPGers out there. Take some time this year and build some extra dimension to your character by really taking a plunge into roleplaying and add some depth to your character. I’ve been watching some of the other players in my local D&D group do this and it’s kind of fascinating and fun.

We have a “farmer” character who is a secret magic user of some kind and, for nearly a year, has managed to keep his powers a secret from most of the group. He, of course, has help from the DM, but it’s added a fun element to the group dynamic when we have something like this.

Another character has recently sprouted black, feathered wings in a seeming response to demonic exposure. We don’t know why or how. Sure, the guy playing him does, and the DM knows, but for the rest of us it’s a mystery to be solved as we go about all of our other adventures.

It’s been making me look forward to the next character I create and how I might be able to play my character’s secrets a bit more to make the game more interesting. I’m recommending you give it a try as well. As much as I sometimes get a little frustrated with RPG character design that goes over the top (e.g., the half halfling/half Tiefling sorcerer who is also a werewolf who sells werewolf insurance), I also get a little frustrated with players who make no effort to create a character beyond the basics (e.g., “Um… I’m an elf, uh… ranger. Yeah. I have a sword.)

Yawn.

This year, see if you can’t add some depth to your roleplaying characters. If you’re a DM, work with your players to make this a thing. I guarantee you it will make game night even more fun.

Explore your community

When was the last time you visited your local library? Chances are there is a vibrant gaming group meeting there regularly. I was pleasantly surprised by this. Like a lot of people, I don’t visit my local library often enough.

In my case, being a book nerd means I’m more apt to want to own the book than borrow, and I’m decades past my research paper days, and still a couple of decades short of my “putzing around like an old man” days. Still, I found myself at the local library while my wife ran some work-related errands and discovered a vibrant gaming meet up. It started out small, but over the yeas grew so large they take up two conference rooms. There are often as many as five or six games being played per meeting.

Not bad. I’ve heard of similar groups popping up at schools, universities, and even churches.

Then there’s the friendly local gaming store. Mine, which is about two miles from where I live, hosts either full-on RPG games, Magic the Gathering nights, or board game demos every night of the week. Yes, even Sunday. While this makes good business sense for the store owners, it’s also a great opportunity for us gamers to get together.

And you find gaming opportunities in all sorts of places. The bulletin board at my nearby Laundromat had two postings a couple of weeks ago–one advertising a game night at a local bar, and a notice from a tabletop RPGer looking for a group.

Heck, I’ve even found listings on Craigslist. Really, if you’re having trouble finding face-to-face gamers, you aren’t really trying.

Exploring the tabletop gaming world online

I’ve talked a lot in the past about how much I enjoy watching live-stream D&D (and other brand) gaming. What I’ve come to discover, however, is that there is more to it than simple entertainment. There’s a bit of learning going on as well.

I’m seeing numerous other players play in different styles than how I play. As a player, it’s usually nothing too major, but as a DM I’m getting a lot out of seeing how different DMs introduce adventures, scenarios, characters, and so forth. I’m watching some DMs really get into voices and roleplaying when introducing NPCs. I’m seeing how some DMs make use of miniatures and maps, and how others rely solely on the Theatre of the Mind.

It’s all very enlightening.

In addition to this, I’ve been looking at roleplaying options online via services like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds. I’ve a new computer with a good webcam and audio setup. Why not check out gaming online? I’ve a number of friends both local and not who speak very highly of it. Because my schedule is somewhat dominated by a new baby in the house, I can’t always hit a face-to-face gaming session as often as I’d like.

But I do have a more open schedule at home (baby permitting). So this year I’ll be rolling digital dice, and joining others in a split-screen camera view of some fantasy world, righting wrongs and hauling away the loot.

If you see yourself in a similar situation, i.e., unable to get out to game nights as often as you like, let 2017 be the year you try to go online. It seems to be a thing. A good thing.

Welcome to 2017 and the rest of your gaming year. I hope it’s a good one with lots of new and interesting twists.

Cheers!

Everyone’s worst fears about the evil that hides in the dark come to life in the nightmare-inducing horror film The Monster, now available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD from Lionsgate. Somewhere deep in the dark woods lurks a bloodthirsty creature that targets an unsuspecting mother and daughter on a late-night road trip. Starring Primetime Emmy Award nominee Zoe Kazan (TV’s “Olivia Kitteridge”) and Teen Choice Award nominee Scott Speedman (Underworld franchise), the shocking and terrifying modern monster movie will have you “peeking through your fingers as the blood goes splat” (The New York Times). Theatrically released by A24, The Monster Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98 respectively.

Acclaimed horror filmmaker Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) wrote and directed this suspenseful and scary film, in which a divorced mother (Zoe Kazan) and her headstrong daughter must make an emergency late-night road trip to see the girl’s father. As they drive through deserted country roads on a stormy night, they suddenly have a startling collision that leaves them shaken but not seriously hurt. Their car, however, is dead, and as they try in vain to get help, they come to realize they are not alone on these desolate backroads — a terrifying evil is lurking in the surrounding woods, intent on never letting them leave.

And we’re giving away 5 copies on Blu-ray!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “The Monster” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

What actor has starred in both The Monster and The Strangers?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 13th, 2016.

Geof Darrow’s slick, precise inks and stunning detail have amazed comics fans for decades, from his early work with Moebius to Hard Boiled, his first collaboration with Frank Miller, to the overwhelming success of his current series, The Shaolin Cowboy. Now Darrow provides incredible insight into his process by sharing the pencil drawings behind his meticulous inks in a huge hardcover collection, Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow. Dark Horse Comics will release the oversized 128 page book, 9×12” HC and priced at $34.99, in July ahead of Darrow’s appearance at San Diego Comic Con.

Featuring well-known covers and never-before-seen drawings alike, Lead Poisoning is a behind-the-scenes look that reveals perfectionism at its best, showing how clean and perfect the initial drawings can be as well as the bizarre alterations that appear to happen on the fly. Featuring commentary by Darrow and his notable peers, Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow is a hardcover that brings you right to Darrow’s drawing board.

“Geof Darrow is one of the most talented creators to ever work in comics,” said Dark Horse Comics Publisher Mike Richardson “In 2017 Dark Horse is proud to be celebrating over two decades of his amazing art with the release of Lead Poisoning, along with a brand new edition of Hard Boiled, the iconic graphic novel he created with comics legend Frank Miller. Not one to rest on his laurels, Geof is also busy creating mayhem with new, adventures of his epic character, the Shaolin Cowboy. ” In April, Dark Horse will publish the first issue of a new four-part mini-series by Darrow and award winning colorist Dave Stewart, The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign? In September, Dark Horse will release a new edition of Hard Boiled, featuring a new introduction by Frank Miller and recolored by Stewart.

Before he was a Three-time Eisner Award winner (and loser), Geof Darrow was born in Cedar Rapids, IA. He is an ex-altar boy, garden mechanic and boom operator on a soft-core adult film. He resides in Chicago IL and his artwork inspires and disillusions fans and artists alike:

“Geof Darrow is a master . . . His combination of technical ability and a genuinely individual voice is an inspiration for me and for generations of other artists across the world.”—Frank Quitely

“Trying to describe Geof Darrow’s work to someone unfamiliar with it is a little like trying to describe a waterfall to someone who’s never seen water. It’s tranquil above the falls, a thrill ride down the slope, and explosively lethal at the bottom of the cataract.”—Walter Simonson

“No one draws violence quite like Geof Darrow.”—NEW YORK MAGAZINE’s VULTURE

“Geof Darrow is without a doubt one of the best creators in our field, meticulous, a superb craftsman, and in Shaolin Cowboy Geof becomes a master choreographer, making the battle scenes a vivid and nightmarish vision of Dante’s Inferno.”—Sergio Aragonés

“A profound sense of the absurd encapsulated in elegant line. Darrow has crafted high-definition realities since before hi-def was even a thing!”—Duncan Fegredo

“Geof Darrow experiments with the versatility of the comic book format and, damn, does he have the skills to back it up.”—FREAK SUGAR

“To say that Geof Darrow is unique is a bit of an understatement. I think he’s just plain brilliant.”—Mike Mignola

Ice Cube and Charlie Day star as high school teachers prepared to solve their differences the hard way.  On the last day of the year, mild-mannered high school English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) is trying his best to keep it together amidst senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration and budget cuts that put jobs on the line.  But things go from bad to worse when he accidentally crosses his much tougher and deeply feared colleague, Ron Strickland (Ice Cube), who challenges Campbell to an old-fashioned throwdown after school.  News of the fight spreads like wildfire and ends up becoming the very thing this school, and Campbell, needed.

And we’re giving away passes to see the film on February 13th in either Boston or Hartford!

BOSTON: For your chance to download passes to the advance screening of FIST FIGHT, on Monday, Feb 13 at 7pm at AMC Loews Boston Common click HERE.

HARTFORD: For your chance to download passes to the advance screening of FIST FIGHT, on Monday, Feb 13 at 7pm at Bow Tie Palace click HERE.

Remember seating is first come, first served and not guaranteed so arrive early!

FIST FIGHT arrives in theaters on February 17
fistfightmovie.com
#FistFight #TeacherFight

Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, King Cobra is a deliciously dark, twisted plunge into the behind-the-scenes world of the pornography industry. Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut on February 14^th, 2017 from Shout! Factory, in conjunction with IFC Midnight, King Cobra also includes an audio commentary with director and co-writer Justin Kelly, outtakes from the film and the theatrical trailer as bonus features. Fans of this debauched thriller can pre-order their copies now at ShoutFactory.com.

It’s 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer (Garrett Clayton) is molded into a star by Stephen (Christian Slater, Mr. Robot), a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home. But as Brent’s rise and demands for more money put him at odds with his boss, he also attracts the attention of a rival producer (James Franco) and his unstable lover (Keegan Allen) who will stop at nothing to squash Cobra Video and steal its number one star. Co-starring Alicia Silverstone and Molly Ringwald, King Cobra is part delirious tabloid-shocker satire, part American tragedy.

King Cobra Bonus Features

• Audio Commentary with director and co-writer Justin Kelly
• Outtakes
• Theatrical Trailer

Produced by Grant Fitch,
Warren Ostergard, Marcel Sarmiento
Written by Michelle Davidson, Patrick Rea
Directed by Patrick Rea
Starring Rob Bouton, Kevin Ryan,
Jake Busey, Fiona Dourif,
Michelle Mills, Bruce Williamson

When couple Dana and Charles head into the woods for a relationship rebuilding camping trip they unfortunately miss a couple of ominous signs that indicate that this may not be a peaceful and tranquil place. It seems that this is a plot of land that few return from.

After something decimates a group of hunters, Dana and Charles hide one of the surviving hunters in their tent.

Over the course of the next few hours they learn the truth about what is in the woods and why they are all there.

Arbor Demon is a creative and effective indie horror film by a director who should be getting more attention. Director Patrick Rea has long been known in horror fandom circles for his great work on short films but doesn’t often treat into features, which is a shame.

In Arbor Demon we are treated to a simple but strong premise with grounded and believable characters. The acting from all three of the leads is wonderful with Fiona Dourif standing out as someone to keep an eye out for, especially after watching this and recently seeing her in the BBC America series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Arbor Demon’s story and acting are greatly complimented by the overall look and mood of the film. The cinematography beautifully captures the remote feeling of these woods while the all-encompassing sense of dread that the film’s eerie atmosphere provides works well to up the creep factor. On top of all that Arbor Demon provides the viewer with a creative and memorable antagonist, which was realized with some fantastic practical effects and art direction.

Arbor Demon is definitely worth checking out, a fantastic woodland set survival horror with a well thought out premise and good characters seems hard to find these days.

Arbor Demon is available On Demand starting February 3rd.

Independent writer/director Michael Mongillo (The Wind, Welcome To Earth and Being Michael Madsen) has wrapped production on the supernatural thriller Diane, a tale of extreme obsession and drastic consequences. In the vein of the stark terror of THE RING, DIANE is an atmospheric tale of a war veteran (Jason Alan Smith of Mike Flanagan’s Before I Wake) haunted by a woman (Carlee Avers of Veronica Mars) whose body he finds in his backyard. “I wanted Diane to be chilling and emotionally powerful,” says filmmaker Mongillo. “The film has a social relevance and also gets under the skin of audiences to impart a haunting, lingering effect.”

In Diane, Afghanistan War veteran Steve’s lasting injuries and regrets plunge him into a daily soulless routine until the body of a beautiful singer, Diane, is discovered in his backyard. Steve takes a photo of her corpse with his cell phone before reporting the murder and he becomes obsessed with the dead woman’s image. Now a prime suspect, Steve is scrutinized by the police, hassled by Diane’s widower, and attacked by self-righteous neighbors. Before long, the malevolent ghost of Diane weaves a dark spell in Steve’s psyche that leads to strange and startling revelations.

“Diane is my favorite of the films I’ve directed,” says Mongillo. “With Diane I achieved what I set out to do with the fewest compromises yet. I’m confident that moviegoers will find Diane an emotionally honest and intellectually satisfying movie. I am so proud of the work of my long-time collaborators, especially star and executive producer, Jason Alan Smith, who delivers a gut-wrenching performance.”

Mongillo says the critical essays of Roland Barthes, the video art of Bill Viola, and the illustrations of Edward Gorey were all influences on Diane. Its cinematic inspirations include Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Gus Van Sant’s crime and punishment road movie Drugstore Cowboy, and Brian De Palma’s stylized suspense/thriller Blow Out. Placing his fourth feature in literary terms, Mongillo describes Diane as “Stephen King meets Elmore Leonard.”

As he begins submitting Diane to international film festivals and prospective distributors, Mongillo says, “I am looking forward to audiences all over the world discovering Diane My goal, in addition to directing something entertaining and deeply unsettling, was to create an honest work about the human condition. Horror has always served as a backdrop to telling character-driven stories and all the best ghost stories are actually tales of atonement, and that’s Diane in a nutshell.”

Justice League and Midnighter & Apollo are UNMISSABLE this week.

There are other books of course but they really can’t hold a torch to these single issues. Bryan Hitch and Steve Orlando are riding the crest of a killer wave.

Some of the mini series are coming close to ending and I’m really hoping these will lead to a bigger brighter future for them.

This is my look into the DC Universe this week!

CYBORG #9
The Imitation of Life Part 9: Escape From S.T.A.R. Labs
Writer: John Semper Jr.
Penciller: Paul Pelletier
Inker: Tony Kordos
Cover: Will Conrad & Ivan Nunes
Variant: Carlos D’Anda

Anomaly has everyone trapped and forces Vic to witness his origin via a series of video footage he has archived.

The manufacturing of the OTAC project is what caused the horrific accident that gave his mother cancer. OTAC was originally designed as a cell that could be programmed for any biological task.

Silas admits he caused this accident and blames himself.

Exxy and Vic try to help him escape but the videos begin again and cripple Vic’s motor functions.

Silas created thirteen OTC clones of himself to test cancer cures but ultimately his wife died before he could succeed. The OTAC clones were discarded but OTAC 13 was sold on by unscrupulous S.T.A.R employees and was further experimented on.

A scientist, named Aldous, found OTAC 13 in the underground lab helped him escape and in return for his help OTAC 13, now Anomaly, made him the monstrous assistant that had kept Silas trapped for many months.

Anomaly believes he has won but Vic suddenly powers up, now protected from Aldous & Anomaly because of Exxy’s secret code program. To gain the upper hand once more Anomly floods Vic with powerful malware that literally blinds the hero as a giant robotic monster called Haxaan

Vic uses his Boom Tube tech to escape with Exxy, reluctantly leaving Variant and Silas behind, barely landing in a nearby sewer tunnel. They barely notice an army of rats approaching…

To Be Continued…

ART: 5/5
Paul Pelletier delivers a promising chapter that is essentially a series of flashbacks but still crafts some interesting visuals to keep the narrative moving even when it was just a series of ‘screenshots’

COVER: 5/5
How fantastic is this cover? Anomaly finally out in the open and on such a beautifully illustrated cover.

ISSUE RATING: 4/5
I’m kind of frustrated as after nine chapters, I can’t seem to give two hoots about Anomaly/OTAC 13 nor the revelation of Aldous becoming a robotic minion. This story has had a lot of angles explored and Anomaly has had more than a fair build up. I just want Cyborg to have the chance to progress now. Having Exxy around is a nice cast addition though, he’s a plus point and once Variant is reactivated he will have a nicely rounded cast to move on from this.

 
GREEN ARROW #16
Emerald Outlaw: Part 5
Writers: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Otto Schmidt
Cover: Juan Farreyra
Variant: Neal Adams & Dave McCaig

The Vice Squad escapes as Red & Green Arrow reunite. Chief Westberg advises them to track down the rogue cops and takes them to a storage depot at O’Neil Airfield and the tactical van was stolen from this facility.

The Vice Squad ambush them but Team Arrow and the Chief fight them off and they gain the upper hand, leading to the entire Squad literally being blown apart.

When Victoria Much and Chief Westberg publicly clear Green Arrow and endorse him as the protector of Seattle it looks like things have turned a corner.

Later, Ollie visits Chief Westberg at home and reveals his identity to a man he considered a friend and ally. Unfortunately for Ollie just as he gains a new ally Malcolm Merlyn sneaks into the property and kills Westberg, leaving a horrified Ollie to pick up the pieces.

To Be Continued…

ART: 5/5
An explosive end to The Vice Squad! A nice balance between some really over the top explosions and family time as Emiko returns to the fold as the Red Arrow. As fun as these were the best pages were the scenes with Chief Westberg. He completely stole the show, a nice twist that took me by surprise.

COVER: 5/5
The balance between good and evil in full effect! I like the depiction of Ollie and the perspective is oozing cool. I find myself rooting for the good and frowning at Merlyn. He obviously has more to come in this storyline and this cover is all about serious business.

ISSUE RATING: 4/5
The Emerald Outlaw storyline has be scratching my head a little.

I get that there are many threads that need addressing but right now there seem to be too many to weave together. I know that The Vice Squad served a purpose to temporarily erode Ollie’s reputation, but they are a distraction and one I was puzzled Team Arrow didn’t latch onto as Meryln only just reappeared and made a point of publicly humiliating Ollie. I hope more of the story is fleshed out but it was nice to see the ‘family’ enjoying time to actually BE a family.

 
JUSTICE LEAGUE #14
Regroup
Writer: Bryan Hitch
Artist & Inker: Bryan Hitch
Secondary Inker: Daniel Henriques
Cover: Bryan Hitch & Alex Sinclair
Variant: Yanick Paquette & Nathan Fairbarn

A giant metal structure appears in Metropolis.

The Justice League arrives to investigate as the world watches, but an orbiting ship, miles out in space fires a beam that destroys everything in its path.

A giant crater is left behind and the League, barely protected by their combined powers are trapped in a self made cavern twelve miles underground.

Superman is at minimal power, Baz unconsious and Aquaman in desperate need of water to recharge, but Vic is still able to connect with the ship and discover their foes motives.

The mystery enemy are miners. The beam that struck them was a ‘gravity drill’ these alien miners strip moons, planets and suns of resources and move on. With the League taken out the Earth’s defences launch a nuclear strike but it proves a feeble attack against the miners.

The team undergoes some serious bonding and air their differences while trapped there is no way to avoid the difficult questions.

Eventually the discussions return to their foe and Batman references Star Wars as a solution and the newly forged and trusting team decide to work together.

With a new understanding they forge ahead and force the miners to flee.
Earth is safe again thanks to the Justice League!

The End.

ART: 5/5
Considering the workload this issue entailed (just check the issue credits) the odds were stacked against Bryan Hitch its an almighty task to craft an entire book but wow he really delivered despite the fact there is a minimal amount of action for the book to thrive on this issue.

COVER: 5/5
Sometimes a book celebrates a team with a big bombastic ‘We’re here to kick ass’ cover and sometimes to show there is a bit more depth to them we have a cover like this one where the team is completely beaten. Considering the interior story this is well suited. United they stand, united they fall.

ISSUE RATING: 5/5
There are many issues tackled and resolved here. The threat of the miners is inconsequential when you consider they address a double Superman, a duplicitous Batman. The team dynamic that under pressure could fall apart at the slightest misstep is something every team members individual title papers over and the book up till now and inclusive of JL vs SS had painstakingly avoided.

The fact that the story acknowledges all the continuity changes and the team comes out the other end stronger than ever before made this issue a must read, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 
MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO #5
Part 5
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Fernando Blanco
Cover: ACO & Romulo Fajardo Jr.

A flashback reveals the Gregorio had cast a binding spell upon Midnighter to give him an edge in Hell against Neron.

Forward to now and Apollo is being forced to watch from a glass bottle prison as Neron and Midnighter face off for his soul.

When Neron offers the first blow to Midnighter, he is shocked to be refused.

Midnighter reveals he was bound with a sliver of ‘Angelic Glory’ and he aims to use the gift to defeat the ‘father of all bastards’.

An epic fight ensues and Neron suffers a humiliating defeat. However before he can strike the killing blow, his seven minute spell that enabled him to stay in hell wears off and Midnighter collapses.

Apollo breaks free to cradle his lover but even this is a trick as Neron and keeps a bloody and injured Midnighter to torture for eternity. Apollo set adrift in Hell hears a whisper from Midnighter and prepares to launch a rescue mission of his own.

To Be Continued…

ART: 5/5
Fernando Blanco channels the strength of Midnighter, emotionally and physically with an expert hand while also showcasing the vile trickery of Neron. I genuinely feel disgust and hatred for this guy and conveyed just through art that is an accomplishment.

COVER: 5/5
Is that Midnighter’s skeleton?? NOOOO!

If ever I was rooting for a winner it’s Apollo.

Neron need to be taken down and as a cover, just before the finale this is definitely ‘for the win’. This is a tried and tested cover that works really well. I just want to see the next panel!

ISSUE RATING: 5/5
Steve Orlando has been working overtime on books across the DCU but this is one book I’m going to always remember. It has a strange warmth to it I find is only replicated in the Netflix show Sense8, not because of the relationship preferences but the heart. At the very heart of this book is the theme of love. Love is hidden under heavy layers of blood, violence and the veil of manipulation and trickery but it is there. If ever there was a boom that epitomises Love is Love, this is it.

 
SUPER POWERS #4 of 6
Part 4
Writer: Art Baltazar & Franco
Artist: Art Baltazar
Cover: Art Baltazar

Black Manta investigates the Kryptonite Fortress and is shocked to find the Legion Of Doom has made it their base.

Meanwhile, Brainiac takes over New Krypton and Jor-El has vanished.

When Superboy Pryme arrives, Brainiac convinces him that are closer family than Kal is and the easily manipulated boy agrees to leave New Krypton to join the Legion of Doom.

Superman and Lara fly to Earth where they find the spirit of Jor-El who reveals a plot by Brainiac to open the Phantom Zone.

The Super-Friends arrive at the Legion of Doom base and fight their foes.

Lex laughs and introduces a secret member of his group… STARRO!

The giant villain quickly plants his mind controlling starfish of the Super-Friends. Superman and Lara arrive and manage to rescue their friends but Superboy Pryme reappears now a fully grown man and with the Legion of Doom at his side, the Super-Friends don’t stand a chance!

To Be Continued…

ART: 5/5
Issue 4 already? I was really hoping it wouldn’t come around so fast as this team continues to impress with each passing issue! I loved seeing their take on the Legion of Doom.

Seeing the Super-heroes in action against their polar opposites is as good as any way to turn the clock back. I feel like a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons again!

COVER: 4/5
A great snapshot of Black Manta about to face off against the Super-Friends. Aquaman and Mera taking centre stage is interesting as the trinity take a step back to allow them a chance to battle the deadly foe much to the glee of Luthor.

ISSUE RATING: 5/5
The end is closing in and this is the most enjoyable family book I’ve picked up in years. Can there be a sketchbook to explore the concepts a bit more because I really want more!

Something unique with the book is that even with the family theme the story is proving to be unpredictable. This isn’t a negative, it makes the story all the more exciting!

Based on a true story of survival and bravery, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage is now available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD Digital HD and On Demand January 24 from Lionsgate. Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore and Thomas Jane star in the harrowing tale of real life American heroes shipwrecked in shark infested waters in the waning days of World War II.

And we’re giving away 5 copies on Blu-ray!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “Indianapolis” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Co-Star Thomas Jane also starred in this 1999 shark-centric movie?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 13th, 2016.

New York Times bestselling author of comics and video games Antony Johnston (Wasteland, Dead Space, The Fuse, Daredevil) joins us today to talk about his latest graphic novel The Coldest Winter. This is the prequel graphic novel to the upcoming film, The Coldest City starring Charlize Theron (Lorraine Broughton) and James McAvoy (Percival) about MI6 agents in The Cold War.

The Coldest Winter is for fans of the action spy genre and a good murder mystery. Antony bravely sends agents behind the Iron Curtain with no certainty of returning and the loyalty of his characters and the mission is always at the forefront.

When you are a spy, you must always watch your back!

* * * * *

FOG!: Thanks for joining us to talk The Coldest Winter, Antony! Is it cold where you are right now?

Antony Johnston: I live in north-west England. It’s always cold here.

This is the volume that precedes The Coldest City (soon to be a major motion picture). Were the volumes meant to be released in this order?

That’s a bit of an odd question. If I’d wanted to tell the story of The Coldest Winter first, I would have written it first instead of The Coldest City. So yes, that was always the intention.

Are there more stories to tell?

Yes. The third book will go into Lorraine Broughton’s backstory, but beyond that my lips are sealed…

You’ve written superheroes and a variety of different types of stories for comic books and also video games. What specifically appeals to you about a Cold War spy story set in Berlin?

I grew up during the Cold War, and watched the Berlin Wall come down on live TV. It’s a fascinating period of history that was quite unique; it doesn’t really have an equivalent, either previously or afterward, in world history. I’ve also always loved Cold War spy stories, which is almost certainly connected in some way.

And part of their appeal is that human connection; they’re superficially bleak and impersonal, but when you dig beneath the surface they’re of course deeply personal, concerned entirely with how individuals act within the enormous systems of government bureaucracy and espionage that were operating during that time.

I love writing adventure stories, and I love working in video games. But there’s simply nothing quite like a Cold War spy thriller, so writing these books scratches a particular itch in my writing brain.

How did you hook up with artist Steven Perkins for the book?

Steven was the result of a search conducted by editor Charlie Chu at Oni Press; we were looking for someone who could nail the stark style and atmosphere of the story, of course, but we also knew we’d need an artist who could handle action scenes as well as character moments — and would need to be available during the scheduled production period. It took a while, but as soon as we found Steven we knew we’d got our man.

When writing a spy story, is your research other movies or fiction, or do you do a deep dive into real history?

Both. I’ve been a huge spy fiction fan since I was young, so I’ve absorbed Bond, Le Carré, Deighton, etc over the years; and then there’s more modern stuff, like the Bourne movies, and authors like Greg Rucka and Jeremy Duns, who’ve been a big inspiration to me.

But it’s almost impossible to tell stories about the Cold War without diving into history, so you have to get into it. But as I mentioned before, the Cold War is a period that fascinates me anyway, having grown up during it’s dying days, and so that side of the research is highly enjoyable for me.

Where can we find you online and what else does 2017 have in store for you?

You can find information and links to all of my work at antonyjohnston.com.

2017 is going to be… busy, especially with The Coldest City movie coming out. But I can’t talk about any of it right now, so follow me on twitter @antonyjohnston to keep up with what I’m doing, not to mention be inundated with pictures of my hounds.

Both The Coldest Winter and The Coldest City are now available
from Oni Press in both physical and digital editions.

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

It’s February, the coldest month of the year! Let’s get warm by talking some comic books!

Aquaman #16   
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Brad Walker

Brad Walker is finally back drawing Aquaman and man, is he good. This issue is so well composed and so well drawn. You actually are reminded of how good Walker is with each panel.

And then you kind of hate him a bit because you know he probably won’t be drawing the next issue.

Still…

Aquaman and Mera lead the rebuilding of Amnesty Bay and other American cities drawn into the war with Atlantis.

But Arthur’s tenure as a hero threatens to be short-lived when a new villain emerges from the rubble.

Abnett is doing pretty well on the scripts. I was never a huge fan of his but he’s doing great on the Rebirth books.

He’s especially doing well on this…and this is the most improved Rebirth book on the stands.

Well done.

RATING: B

Batman #16 
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by David Finch

Man, Tom King has a hard on for Bane.

After focusing four issues on the guy recently, we are back with a new Bane storyline called “I am Bane!” The good thing is that this one was a lot more thrilling than the other storyline. Maybe it’s his second chance?

Bane is coming for Batman. Bruce must keep those he loves safe for five days in order to save Gotham Girl once and for all.

But Bane will stop at nothing, and no one is safe.

David Finch is back on the art and he’s doing better than he started off with (at the beginning of his run).

This may be the best issue King and Finch have done.

Still, it could be better. And maybe it can be in future issues. I hope the two of them improve on each issue.

This has a nice last page too. Let’s see what happens.

RATING: B

Nightwing #14 
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Marcus To

This book is also among the “somewhat improved” books of the week.

This Bludhaven storyline was fairly decent. A lot of that has to do with the art of Marcus To. His work is very suited to Nightwing And brought the whole production up a notch.

The psychopath who’s been carrying out the killings in Blüdhaven has placed the blame on Nightwing!

Now Dick Grayson must apprehend this maniac to stop the murders and to convince Blüdhaven he’s not a villain.

The book still needs to have a plan to it or feel like it does.

The long term plan isn’t apparent. It just feels like we are skipping from storyline to storyline.

It needs a tighter focus to keep us reading.

RATING: B

Superman #16 
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Tony S . Daniel and Clay Mann

This book is fairly awesome. The writing is spot on. And the art was pretty great.

This is the way Superman should be done. It’s fast, furious, and exciting.

Superman, New Super-Man and Justice Incarnate make their last stand against their multiverse-spanning foe, and the Man of Steel discovers another clue to the truth of his existence.

There is also a small link to the Watchmen on here…which is getting me hoping that we get to see them in 2017.

One month in and the clues are starting to surface more.

This could be very exciting.

RATING: A-
Shade The Changing Girl #5 
Written by Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated by Marley Zarcone

This book has been a totally weird adventure thus far and this issue doesnt let up on the total weirdness. Castellucci writes a great tale though full of quirk, imagination, and emotion.

Which is more powerful?

These new human emotions or the madness that brought Shade to Earth?

Balancing both is difficult, as the divide between where she is now and where she comes from grows deeper. It’s all about duality as the future and the past are racing to catch up with Shade. She sees strange visions of a possible tomorrow while Megan, the girl whose body she stole, is racing across galaxies to take her life back.

Plus, an all-new backup feature: Shade’s favorite TV show, Life With Honey, comes to comics!

The art by Zarcone is spot on and wonderful. You actually can’t take your eyes off it. It’s a nice book and it’s a pleasure to read. Give it a shot. It’s certainly different from everything else on the stands.

RATING: B+

The Rise and Fall of Captain Atom #2
Written by Cary Bates and Greg Weisman
Illustrated by Will Conrad

This is a fairly well written book with some incredible art.

Captain Atom has never been a favorite of mine.

Here though, Bates and Weisman make him and identifiable character who we can relate to. It’s a pretty impressive feat.

An overload in the quantum field forced Nathaniel Adam back to the 1990s, leaving him stranded.

With no powers and no clear way to get home, he wonders how his presence in the past might affect his future.

But if he gets his wish…will that future include Captain Atom?

The art makes this book very special. Conrad knocks it out of the galaxy. This is a decent book. Pick it up and you’ll enjoy it for sure.

RATING: B+
Harley Quinn #13   
Written by Amanda Connor and Jimmy Pamliotti
Illustrated by John Timms and various

As I’m fond of saying, it’s another week so it must be time for another issue of Harley Quinn!

Another fun filled issue is at hand! The Joker guest stars! Wackiness ensues! Here we go!

Just how did a gentle, “reformed” Joker come to arrive at Harley’s doorstep when everyone believed him dead and gone?

The answer’s in this issue—and it’ll shock you! Tune in!

The art is truly special here. There are some guest spots by Char Hardin here and Bret Blevins…but John Timms is the breakout here. He is going places.

The book is a good time…it’s just I’m being beaten over the head with Harley Quinn. Less is sometimes more.

RATING: B

And the rest….

Ever After #6 
Written by Dave Justus and Lilah Sturges
Illustrated by Steve Rolston
This spinoff from Fables continues and it’s a moderately good read. It’s slowing down a bit for me though. Either it needs to pick up or something major needs to happen.
RATING: B-

Green Lanterns #16 
Written by Sam Humphries
Illustrated by Neil Edwards
Batman guest stars in a decently written, well drawn book. Neil Edwards may be the Green Lantern artist we have been waiting for. Let’s hope someone gives him a strong story.
RATING: B

The Flintstones #8 
Written by Mark Russell
Illustrated by Steve Pugh
Is anyone even buying this book? I doubt it. So why is it still being produced? It’s just awful. The art by Pugh is nice.
RATING: F+

Produced by Rémi Grellety,
Hébert Peck, Raoul Peck
Written by James Baldwin, Raoul Peck
Based on Remember This House
by James Baldwin
Directed by Raoul Peck
Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson
Featuring James Baldwin, Dick Cavett

I Am Not Your Negro is the Oscar-nominated documentary about author and activist James Baldwin, whose books include The Fire Next Time.

It’s an impressionistic look at not only his life, but that of good friends — and Civil Rights martyrs — Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The film, written and directed by Raoul Peck, assumes you know the basics of all four men going into the film: You won’t learn from this movie that Baldwin was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1963, or anything about his personal life, or that he died in 1987.

The film is strongest when Baldwin — and not just his words, as read by Samuel L. Jackson — takes center stage. Several film clips of him speaking are featured and he’s never less than powerful and riveting.

In particular, a 1968 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show where another guest, a white professor, tried to insist that solidarity based on race was arbitrary and that feeling closer to a fellow intellectual, such as himself, made more sense. Baldwin’s eloquent putdown — in which he mentions all the institutions that don’t want him as a member is one for the ages: “You want me to risk my life … on some idealism that you assure me exists in America, which I have never seen.”

“The story of the negro is the story of America, and it’s not a pretty story,” Baldwin wrote. His words are sadly just as true today as they were during the ‘60s. Although the terminology has changed and we elected our first black President, seeing footage of the ‘60s juxtaposed with contemporary protest images, underline how little has changed in 50 years, just as it did in the films Selma and The 13th.

Peck based the film on Baldwin’s own notes for a personal project that he never got to finish. He intended to write about not just his own life, but the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends—Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  When Baldwin died, he only had 30 pages of the book written.

Building from there, Peck draws on Baldwin’s other writings and public appearances, as well as ample news footage of the Civil Rights movement

It’s a fascinating, moving film, and yet I often wished for more context for some of the people and events mentioned, such as A Raisin in the Sun playwright Lorraine Hansberry. When I got home from the screening, I immediately hit up Wikipedia for some essential background information I wish the movie had included.

The film also uses clips from movies — particularly Doris Day movies — and ads to represent clueless ‘60s white America in a way that quickly gets tiresome. And at times, the generic ‘60s stock footage distracts, instead of enhancing or illustrating what’s being said.

But those flaws don’t take away from the power or timelessness of Baldwin’s words, which still resonate and inspire today.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5

Produced by John Giwa-Amu,
Claire Moorsom, Nicky Earnshaw 
Written by Mark Huckerby, Nick Ostler
Directed by Caradog W. James
Starring Katee Sackhoff, Lucy Boynton,
Javier Botet, Nick Moran, Jordan Bolger

There have been a fair amount of horror films in the last few years that deal with a parent’s dysfunctional relationship with their child.

Mama, The Monster, the undervalued (and underseen) Before I Wake, the upcoming XX and, most notably, The Babadook, all used the genre to explore a parent’s or parents’ attempt to connect with their child.

The latest in this sub-subgenre is Don’t Knock Twice, from director Caradog James, who also directed the nifty A.I. flick, The Machine, a few years back.

Katee Sackhoff plays a mother desperate to reconcile with her teenage daughter (Lucy Boynton), whom she gave up to the state years before due to her debilitating drug addiction.

The daughter wants nothing to do with her mother — until her friend disappears mysteriously. The teen believes it has to do with a woman she and her friend accused of kidnapping a young boy when they were younger. They apparently tormented the woman – constantly knocking on her cottage door – until the old lady committed suicide.

The daughter becomes convinced the old woman is actually a witch who is now seeking revenge.
Of course, her mother, as well as the detective on her friend’s disappearance case (who also happened to have presided over the case of the missing boy), think the girl is nuts.

But then crazy, creepy things start happening that begin to melt away the mother’s stubborn disbelief.

A pretty standard script is given cinematic life by good performances and even better direction that favors visual storytelling and style, bolstered by several terrific jump-scares and some truly suspenseful set-pieces.

On the down side, the creature design is all-too-reminiscent of earlier fright flicks, especially The Grudge and The Ring films. The images of the witch’s spindly fingers creeping out of a kitchen sink or over the edge of a bed still work despite the familiarity of the scenes, but it would have been cool if the creature were more unusual.

Some of the characters’ motivations are presented in clunky fashion, and there are one or two moments where the story just doesn’t make much sense.

The ending is also satisfactory if stale, ending the film on a medium-to-low note.

Still, with commendable technical credits (kudos to the production design, as well), fine performances, solid direction and good scares, there’s far more to recommend Don’t Knock Twice than not.

Don’t Knock Twice is now playing in selected theaters
and is now available on VOD and HD Digital.

Dark Horse Comics will be publishing the highly anticipated adaptation of American Gods as periodical comic books in England, it was announced yesterday. The adaptation of the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel by Neil Gaiman (How to Talk to Girls at Parties, The Sandman) will be adapted and co-written by P. Craig Russell (The Sandman: The Dream Hunters)—who previously adapted Gaiman’s bestselling novels Coraline and The Graveyard Book—and illustrated by acclaimed artist Scott Hampton (Hellboy, Batman). Dark Horse will adapt American Gods into twenty-seven single issues with three story arcs: Shadows, My Ainsel, and The Moment of the Storm. The first issue of American Gods: Shadows goes on sale March 15, 2017, ahead of Starz’ premiere of an American Gods TV show, adapted by Bryan Fuller (NBC’s Hannibal, CBS’s Star Trek: Discovery).

“Neil’s American Gods is on track to be the biggest comic book launch for Dark Horse Comics since the bestselling Fight Club 2 series,” said Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Publisher. “We’re thrilled with the book’s amazing creative team, and with the series generating international headlines, I’m very pleased to let fans know that Dark Horse will be releasing the American Gods comic books in the UK.”

The American Gods comic books will feature guest interior art by Walt Simonson (Thor), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), P. Craig Russell, and more. The series features covers by some of the industry’s most acclaimed artists: Glenn Fabry (Preacher) and Adam Brown (Predator vs. Judge Dredd vs. Aliens), and variant covers by David Mack (Kabuki, Fight Club 2). Acclaimed artist Dave McKean (Black Dog, Cages), who provided covers on Gaiman’s seminal Sandman for DC Comics, has also created a variant cover for the first issue.

Originally published in 2001 by William Morrow and Headline, American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel. American Gods is the latest Gaiman adaptation from Dark Horse, preceded by graphic novel adaptations of How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Troll Bridge, Forbidden Brides, and many more.

This week, DST continues their comic shop beautification project by shipping not one, but four amazing-looking products to your local comic shop!

From Batman: The Animated Series, the Man-Bat bust and Nurse Harley statue! From Justice League Unlimited, the Black Canary PVC diorama! And from Marvel Comics, Jessica Jones as Jewel! Look for all four of these products exclusively at your local comic shop or specialty store – read on for details, then find a shop at comicshoplocator.com!

Batman The Animated Series Man-Bat Resin Bust

A Diamond Select Toys release! Beware the Man-Bat! The newest resin bust in the epic line based on Batman: The Animated Series depicts scientist Kirk Langstrom as his monstrous alter-ego, the Man-Bat! Measuring over 6 inches tall and approximately 8 inches in diameter, this detailed bust is set on top of an art-deco base inspired by the show’s distinctive architecture. Limited to only 3000 pieces, it comes packaged with a certificate of authenticity in a full-color box. Sculpted by Varner Studios! (Item #AUG162554, SRP: $59.99)

Batman Animated Series Premier Collection Nurse Harley Quinn 12” Resin Statue

A Diamond Select Toys release! Hello, nurse! On the TV classic Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn played dress-up almost as often as she wore her now-iconic jumpsuit. And this all-new 12-inch resin statue depicts one of her most memorable clothing swaps – a nurse’s disguise! Nurse Harley blows a kiss to her next patient while wearing a short, white mini-dress and standing on a logo disk base. Limited to only 3,000 pieces, this statue comes packaged with a certificate of authenticity in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Clayburn Moore! (Item #AUG162553, SRP$ 149.99)

DC Gallery Justice League Black Canary PVC Figure

A Diamond Select Toys release! The heroines of the DC Animated Universe are expanding their roster! As seen on Justice League Unlimited, this 9-inch scale PVC figure of the Black Canary depicts Dinah Lance unleashing a sonic scream at her opponent, wearing her classic, comic-inspired leather jacket and tights. Figure is in scale to all Gallery and Femme Fatales PVC figures, and comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Varner Studios! (Item #AUG162555, SRP: $45.00)

Marvel Gallery Jessica Jones as Jewel PVC Diorama

A Diamond Select Toys Release! Before she was a hard-boiled detective and the star of her own TV show, Jessica Jones was Jewel, an up-and-coming superhero, part-time Avenger and full-time fashion plate! This 9-inch scale PVC diorama of Jewel depicts the superheroine with her purple hair and white jumpsuit, blowing a kiss of purple stars. In scale to all Gallery and Femme Fatales PVC figures, Jewel comes packaged in a full-color widow box, and features a detailed sculpt and paint applications. Sculpted by Alejandro Pereira. (Item #NOV162441, SRP: $45.00)

Find a store near you at comicshoplocator.com!

I’ve seen a lot of criticism surrounding the price point for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console and I can fully appreciate that it’s expensive (hell, there’s no way I can afford to splurge that much cash in one go, at least not without forgoing essentials like food and rent) but let’s put Nintendo’s pricing into context before we fly off the handle.

Cast your mind back to a time when baggy parachute pants with tassels, mood rings and Morpheus style sunglasses were the height of cool (I dare you to judge my fashion choices back then!), the mid to late nineties was a time of great change for the gaming community but we welcomed this new age of blocky graphics with arms wide open. In 1995, Sony first launched the PlayStation and in 1996 Nintendo released their Nintendo 64 console, back then the former would have set you back $299 (£299) and the latter approximately $200 (£250).

Respectively, both consoles were expensive, even if you adjust the prices to reflect inflation and the amount they would cost you today. The games for both were just as expensive, a copy of Mario Kart 64 in 1997 would have set you back $70, the equivalent of just over $100 today!

Go back further, even to the days of the Atari 2600, popular games were retailing at around $25/£30 which when adjusted for today’s dollars/pounds is even more expensive. In fact, the NES when adjusted for inflation is the most expensive console (in hindsight this is probably why I was a Sega girl, my family weren’t particularly poor but they certainly weren’t rich enough to buy a NES back then).

Despite the expense back then, one could argue that early on when gaming was first taking off, a higher price point makes sense, since the technology was relatively new. But games and their consoles have always been expensive and in my opinion they are justifiably so.

Two very different titles like the critically acclaimed Half-Life 2 and movie tie-in atrocity Catwoman: The Game were both released in 2004 with differing budgets, $40 million for Half-Life 2 (this was confirmed by Gabe Newell, founder of Valve, in an interview with Eurogamer in 2004) and approximately $12 million for Catwoman: The Game (it’s important also to note that these figures, unless confirmed are educated guesses from speculating journalists or business analysts, given that most companies usually like to keep numbers close to their chest).

Regardless of the games differing costs to create, on release day they were priced the same. Jump forward thirteen years and the fact still stands, even with differing budgets as a general rule (albeit format dependant) games today are sold for the exact same price, which currently stands on average around $60/£50 per title.

This is problematic and it even implies that some publishers could feel pressure to cut costs just to make a profit or find themselves in a position where they have to push their employees to do double the work or hire less experienced workers. That’s not to mention they have to factor in the retailers cut (usually 20% or thereabouts), the royalty fees and even licensing if it applies to their particular project.

If you compare this to the film industry, bad films are often gifted sequels by executive producers at the expense of quality filmmaking. Corners are cut, artistry is pushed aside for a “just shoot it and fix it in post production” mentality. The cost is kept down so that a larger profit can be gained.

When compared to the games industry, there is very little difference. We are bombarded with sequels and remakes because the engines and design frame work already exists. They cost less to produce when compared to creating new intellectual properties which require fully funding a team of the best artists, writers, programmers, animators, game devs, voice actors and multiple other talented people who are integral to creating a game.

It used to be that early on in gaming, around the time of the Atari 2600, smaller games were priced lower than big name titles like Pac-Man, it seems to me that companies have used excuses such as better technology to their advantage, hence we now have games of all qualities being sold as equal which is not fair to consumers.

I also think a lot of the criticism about games being expensive is due to the rise of mobile gaming and digital downloads. Consumers are getting used to paying less for apps and mobile games which is driving the perception of the value of gaming down and digital downloads can sometimes be up to half the price, meaning physical copies appear overpriced.

This isn’t to mention of course, the amount of pre-owned games available now, we are over saturated with them and their competitive price points often stop many gamers from buying a game on release date, instead they opt to wait it out a few weeks or months before purchase. I do this with a lot of the games I play. However, when I buy a game with over 40 hours of gameplay like Fallout 4, I will happily play the £50 price tag. A decent game offering that much entertainment time is in my opinion absolutely worth it.

I’m not saying there’s nothing to gain from criticising the price of the Nintendo Switch or for complaining about an industry which isn’t fair but the sheer amount of criticism I’ve seen directed at Nintendo in the last month is quite frankly, excessive. Sure, it’s expensive but so is every console that’s released. Shouldn’t we be focusing on quality? If an industry realises their consumers want quality, not quantity then they have no option but to adjust.

Perhaps we need to actively boycott certain games? I mean, you can’t complain about the alarming amount of AAA titles out there that are sequels or remakes when you keep on buying them. And for those of you thinking that by doing so, it would limit your choice as a consumer, there are more than enough games out there that are in need of your money and deserve it far more.

Alternatively, get into PC games and utilise digital distribution platforms like Steam. But whatever you do, quit hassling Nintendo fans who are happy to spend $300 (or £280) on a Nintendo Switch. Let them. It’s ultimately up to them how they choose to spend/waste their money and criticising them isn’t going to help the situation. Don’t complain especially if you don’t even intend to buy one.