Produced by Joan Kron, Brian David Cange,
Andrea Miller, W Wilder Knight II,
Bill Scheft, Adrianne Tolsch
Directed by Joan Kron
Starring Emily Askin, Jackie Hoffman
Featuring Judy Gold, Julie Halston,
Lisa Lampanelli Giulia Rozzi,
Aubrey Plaza, Roseanne Barr,
Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers

Take My Nose…Please! is a ascinating documentary follows two comediennes – Emily Askin and Jackie Hoffman – as they separately wrestle with the idea of undergoing plastic surgery.

This serves as a springboard for philosophical discussions on cosmetic surgery and the nature of being a woman in the spotlight, and the nature of being a woman, period.

There are some very interesting bits of history here: we learn of Suzanne Noel, one of the very first French plastic surgeons, who was an active feminist who would often perform facelifts for needy women for free in the 1920s. This wasn’t for vanity in most cases; women at the time could lose their livelihood if they weren’t young-looking and attractive.

She, in turn, became interested in plastic surgery upon seeing the results of an operation on the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was open about her surgery.

There’s also the tragic tale of Totie Fields, a popular comedian in the 60s and 70s, who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin. She sadly had to have her left leg amputated due to complications from a facelift.

These stories are woven into Askin’s and Hoffman’s journeys. We get to meet their mates – Askin’s fiancé, Rob, and Hoffman’s husband, Steven – and discover that while they’re both very supportive, neither is especially thrilled about the prospect of their partner going under the knife.

The two women discuss at length the reason they are seriously considering their respective operations.

They both have body issues; one, stemming partially from childhood abuse, and the other from a lifelong self-loathing that is largely due to her firm belief that she is flat-out ugly.

One unexpected and rather refreshing aspect of the film – whatever your views on elective cosmetic surgery – is that its viewpoint is utterly unjudgmental. In fact, it has a rather positive view of the practice itself if it makes the patient happy.

The doc does, however, damn society’s sexism and double standard when it comes to aging that may lead to a woman’s decision to undergo plastic surgery.

There are some very funny and trenchant clips from Inside Amy Schumer, for example, as well as terrific archival interviews, including a handful with Joan Rivers, who was an open book when it came to her multiple surgeries.

Take My Nose…Please! turned out to be a pleasant surprise to me; it’s extremely informative and hugely entertaining.

And it’s pretty cool that the director, Joan Kron – who was contributing editor for 25 years at Allure magazine – made her film directing debut here at the age of 89.

For screening information, visit TakeMyNosePlease.com

Produced by Lije Sarki, Michael Mackey,
Chris Sacca, Josh Woods, Alex Grossman
Written and Directed by Alex Grossman
Starring Troy Doherty, Flavia Watson,
Raychel Diane Weiner, Zedrick Restauro,
Alex Ashbaugh, Ross Mackenzie,
Nicholas Azarian, Tommy “Tiny” Lister

I watch a lot of indie movies.  If I am not sure what to watch, my first move is to pull up the Netflix independent film section and look at the films I haven’t watched already.

I generally get drawn to coming of age or relationship dramas/comedies and get absorbed in the prosaic dialogue that usually follows.

Hickey will wind up on the indie section of Netflix sooner rather than later.

As far as John Hughes inspired indie dramedies go, Hickey has it all.

Unrequited love, artificial urgency, clueless or eccentric parents and plenty of other hallmarks of the coming of age flick we have grown to love over the years.  Ryan (Troy Doherty) is a genius who is thinking about not going away to MIT so he doesn’t have to leave Carly (Flavia Watson). You mix that with some quirky surrounding characters and you have yourself a perfectly watchable, if ultimately unspectacular film.

There is a problem when your main character is supposed to be a genius. If you don’t demonstrate the genius early on, like the effective “I’m pretty good with numbers” scene from 21 or the Good Will Hunting “bar scene” it’s pretty hard to really illustrate the level of thinking your protagonist has. Writer/Director Alex Grossman writes very solid dialogue and the characters are likeable so it’s easy to put that small failing aside.

On the other hand there are some real high points in this movie. There is a Jews for Jesus bit in the middle of the film that is both strange and hilarious at the same time. There is also some throwback 8-bit animation that is amusing too.

The real stars of this movie are the women. Flavia Watson is confident, beautiful and strong as Ryan’s unrequited love interest. The character I enjoyed most though, is tough girl Ellen, played by Raychel Diane Weiner.  Every scene she is in, she dominates and amuses. Her body language and expressiveness without words hint towards her start as a professional dancer. She’s a star.  The casting is very solid all throughout with Troy Doherty being the only one who seems out of his depth at times.

All in all Hickey is a nice diversion. It is enjoyable, funny at times and has a heartfelt sweetness to it that comes shining through on the screen.

3 stars out of five

Hickey is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD

As It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia wrapped up its 12th season last week, the gang of Paddy’s Pub left things on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Instead of wrapping up the season in the usual melee of destruction and chaos (aka, a high note), this time, events took a bit of a turn as charming sociopath Dennis Reynolds decided to take leave of his merry band of idiots as he opted to go off to raise the son he accidentally fathered off-screen in an earlier episode.

Then to mirror real life, actor Glenn Howerton began to hint to the press that he might retire from playing the adorable psychopath from the FXX show, thus throwing the long-running dark comedy into flux.

“So… it’s a little complicated,”  Howerton told Uproxx. “I may seem a little bit evasive here, and I don’t mean to. It’s not entirely certain whether I am or am not. I might be. I might be, but I might not be. That really is the truth.”

The actor also hinted at a possible extended hiatus for the series before it returns for a 13th season.

If Howerton is preparing to take leave of the gang, he’s doing so on a high note. It seems that season 12 did its best to squash all its beefs and clean its plates of all dangling storylines.

For example, Dennis no longer has to worry about ex-wife former-human future-feline Maureen anymore, as she “accidentally” broke her neck while jumping a gate while in her cat fursona. RIP Maureen Ponderosa. The joke died before you did.

And Mac finally embraced his true sexuality and came out (sort of) as a  gay man, complete with a home gym, which is actually only a stationary bike with a sex toy strapped to the seat.

Cricket? Yeah. Lost cause, man. He was given a chance at redemption, but there ain’t no hope there. Just a future of dog orgies, drug use and skin grafts.

The waitress? Charlie finally got her. But their post-coital bliss was only momentary as her inner shrew began to shine through, scaring the shit out Charlie as he heads for the hills and runs over to…

Dee’s, who end up as the head of group when everyone is out of ideas. Sort of. Kind of. Momentarily.

So, fans of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia now wait have to find out the news if the D.E.N.N.I.S. System will make its return for a 13th year and exactly how long of a wait that might be.

It’s not the news that upsetting. It’s the implication.

Strike it rich with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (Best Actor, Dallas Buyers Club, 2013) in this fascinating story of dreams and greed when Gold arrives on Digital HD on April 18 and on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD, and On Demand May 2 from Anchor Bay Entertainment and Dimension Films.

From director Stephen Gaghan (Syriana), and written by Patrick Massett & John Zinman, Gold follows the story of Kenny Wells, a gold prospector desperate to achieve success, no matter the cost. Nominated for a 2017 Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture (“Gold” by Iggy Pop and Danger Mouse), this jungle adventure features an incredibly talented cast, including Edgar Ramirez (Hands of Stone), Golden Globe nominee Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”), with Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (American History X) and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek).

Gold is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream — to discover gold. Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey stars as Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, who teams up with a similarly eager geologist, and they set off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

The home entertainment release is packed with must-see bonus features including: Feature commentary with director Stephen Gaghan, a dynamic deleted sequence of the film, an exploration of the movie’s origins, a journey through Gold’s locations, and a behind-the-scenes look at Matthew McConaughey’s unforgettable performance as Kenny Wells. Gold will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD for the suggested retail price of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

BLU-RAY/ DVD/ DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

• Deleted Sequence
• Feature Commentary with Director Stephen Gaghan
• “The Origins of Gold” Featurette
• “The Locations of Gold” Featurette
• “Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells” Featurette

Gold-Film.com

Available Now

Country: Portraits of An American Sound

Country: Portraits of An American Sound takes audiences on a visual odyssey through the history of country music as captured by renowned photographers who have portrayed the ideals, lifestyle and personalities of country music artists for 90 years. From the Carter Family to Taylor Swift, the film documents country’s rise from innocent beginnings to international phenomenon as immortalized in the evolving image of the country artist, from rhinestone cowboy to pot-smoking outlaw to stadium-filling megastar. The film features imagery and commentary from Grand Ole Opry photographer Les Leverett, iconic music photographers Henry Diltz and Raeanne Rubenstein, celebrity portraitist Leigh Wiener, documentarian Henry Horenstein, and contemporary shooters David McClister and Michael Wilson. Over 20 country music artists also appear, including Rosanne Cash, Roy Clark, Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett, Charley Pride, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, The Band Perry and Keith Urban. The film weaves iconic images, historical footage and famous country songs into a dynamic look at this uniquely American sound.

Rules Don’t Apply

It’s Hollywood, 1958. An aspiring young actress, songwriter, beauty queen and devout Baptist virgin, Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), and her young, ambitious, deeply religious Methodist chauffeur, Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich), both struggle with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire they work for, Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). Their attraction to each other not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior draws them both deeper into his bizarre world, and their lives are changed. Written and directed by Beatty (with a story by Beatty and Bo Goldman), Rules Don’t Apply also stars Annette Bening, Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen, Ed Harris, Oliver Platt and Martin Sheen.

Passengers

Academy Award nominee Morten Tyldum (Best Director, The Imitation Game, 2014) brings together Hollywood’s two hottest stars in the high stakes action adventure Passengers. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt star in a high-stakes adventure about two passengers, Aurora and Jim, onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. The trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. As they try to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction, they discover that the ship itself is in grave danger. With the lives of 5,000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all. Passengers also stars Michael Sheen and Academy Award nominees Lawrence Fishburne and Andy Garcia.

Man Down

When U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) returns home from his tour in Afghanistan, he finds that the place he once called home is no better than the battlefields he fought on overseas. Accompanied by his best friend Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney), a hard-nosed Marine whose natural instinct is to shoot first and ask questions later, he searches desperately for the location of his estranged son, Johnathan (Charlie Shotwell), and wife Natalie (Kate Mara). In their search, the two intercept Charles (Clifton Collins Jr.), a man carrying vital information about the whereabouts of Gabriel’s family. As we revisit the past, we are guided in unraveling the puzzle of Gabriel’s experience and what will eventually lead us to finding his family.

Westworld: The Complete First Season

What happens in a world free of consequences and morality? From creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and executive producer J.J. Abrams and based on the film written by best-selling author Michael Crichton, Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and evolution of sin. The futuristic park, set at the intersection of the near future and reimagined past, explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how depraved or noble, can be indulged. In addition to Hopkins, Harris, Wood and Newton, the cast of this 10-episode phenomenon includes Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Ben Barnes, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Clifton Collins, Jr., Luke Hemsworth, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Simon Quarterman, Rodrigo Santoro, Angela Sarafyan, Jimmi Simpson, Tessa Thompson and Shannon Woodward. Executive produced by Abrams, Nolan, Joy, Jerry Weintraub and Bryan Burk, Westworld is produced by Kilter Films in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

Why Him?

Bryan Cranston and James Franco fight the ultimate battle of wits and wills in this outrageous, no-holds-barred comedy from filmmaker John Hamburg (I Love you Man, Along Came Polly, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander). Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad, and his family visit his daughter at college, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). A rivalry develops, and Ned’s panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.

May 28

The Bye Bye Man

From the producer of Oculus and The Strangers comes The Bye Bye Man. When three college friends stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, they discover that there is only one way to avoid his curse: don’t think it, don’t say it. But once the Bye Bye Man gets inside your head, he takes control, making you see and do the most unspeakable acts committed by man. Is there a way to survive his possession? Starring Douglas Smith (Ouija) and Carrie Anne-Moss (The Matrix), see the chilling thriller that critics are calling “a paranormal thrill ride that will echo in your nightmares” (Elizabeth Rayne, Den Of Geek).

April 10

The Young Pope

From Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Paolo Sorrentino, the ten-episode limited series The Young Pope tells the fictional story of Lenny Belardo, a.k.a. Pius XIII, the first-ever American Pope and the youngest elected by the College of Cardinals. At first glance, Lenny’s selection over older and more experienced clerics – in particular Cardinal Spencer, a fellow American and Lenny’s mentor – seems part of a simple media strategy by Vatican elders, who no doubt expect the new Pope to toe the line and follow their lead. Instead, Pius XIII eschews the counsel of the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Voiello, and enlists the woman who raised him, Sister Mary, to be his chief confidante. To the chagrin of Voiello and the PR reps who would market the handsome and charming young Pope, Lenny refuses to allow himself to be photographed, and he announces a series of severe, hardline initiatives that confound the Vatican status quo. The Young Pope paints a portrait of a mysterious, complicated man fully aware of the contradictions and consequences of being the conservative leader of a billion followers in a changing world – but unwilling to bend in the execution of his duties. The ensemble cast includes Jude Law, Diane Keaton, Scott Shepherd, James Cromwell, Ludivine Sagnier, Silvio Orlando, Cécile De France, Javier Cámara, Toni Bertorelli, and more.

It is very hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the first CD manufacturer got the green light to start shipping out a boy band’s first album to the world. The group was not only defined because they were all blond-haired brothers, but also because they had a catchy single that took the world by storm.  However, it is true! It was a quarter of a century ago that Hanson made pop history.

The siblings, who are now 36, 34 and 31 years old respectively, are soon to begin their tour aptly titled ‘Middle of Everywhere 25^th Anniversary Tour’. The brothers stated that they had to acknowledge the fact that they have been performing together as a group for 25 years. They figured it was no better way to do this than to have an anniversary tour. Without a doubt, it was music to the ears of Hanson fans who grew up with the trio.

Kick Off

The tour will kick off in the brothers’ hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first concert will be held at the Hop Jam Beer Music Festival that is slated to begin May 21. The group will then head across the pond and begin their ‘MMMBop’ global tour.

They are not simply celebrating two decades of music during the tour, the tour is also about celebrating their loyalty community of fans who have been singing right along with them for all of these years.

List of Shows

Hanson will be playing throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada, with shows set to take place in London, Paris, Cologne, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Texas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, Alabama, Tennessee, Chicago, Montreal and Quebec.  The full list of shows can be found on the band’s website and also on websites like Ticketmaster where you can order your tickets.

Debut

In the early 1990s, Zac, Taylor and Isaac began as an acapella group. They recorded many classic and familiar songs like ‘Johnny B. Goode’, ‘Rockin’ Robin’ and ‘Splish Splash’. They also recorded a lot of their own material. They performed professionally for the first time in 1992. They sang a few songs at the Mayfest Arts Festival. During this time, they were referred to as the ‘Hanson Brothers’. They later shortened the group’s name to simply ‘Hanson’.

The group also made television appearances including on ‘Yo! Kidz: The Vidz. Taylor played the role as a Biblical David fighting Goliath. Isaac was casted as an announcer, and other members of the family were in the crowd scene.

Even though all three brothers began their careers as pianists, only Taylor remained as the keyboard player for the group. Zac began to play the drums and Isaac played the guitar. The band then began to record independent albums before eventually getting worldwide fame with their breakthrough hit ‘MMMBop’.

Fans can get ready for even more great news. Not only is the group going on tour, but they are also planning to release a new album around Christmas.

Sometimes a pilot is hiding right there out in the open and you didn’t even see it.

There are times an established series wants to create a franchise so they might spin-off a beloved character into their own show or perhaps introduce a new character or setting specifically to create a new show.

These are called backdoor pilots… they are an episode of the main show but with the express purpose of being a pilot for this new show.

NCIS started as a backdoor pilot on JAG.

NCIS: Los Angeles was a backdoor pilot on NCIS.

S.W.A.T. was a backdoor pilot on The Rookies.

Maude and The Jeffersons were backdoor pilots on All In The Family.

Wonder Woman, Magnum P.I. and even The Twilight Zone all had backdoor pilots.

Often times these go on to be successful series on their own and sometimes they simply become a weird episode when you see the series again years later.

Hell, Star Trek even had one of these.

Every wonder why the final episode of season 2 (“Assignment: Earth”) felt so out of place and why the Enterprise crew had to little to do with it? Because that a was a pilot for a contemporary spin off.

Most fans remember that Knight Rider had a later sequel series in Team Knight Rider (and even later as the disastrous 2008 reboot) but who remembers the spin-off Code of Vengeance?

I don’t need to explain what Knight Rider was but I will wager you don’t remember the character of David Dalton on the show.

Appearing in 2 episodes (“Mouth of the Snake”, a 2 parter) near the end of season 2 the character was being groomed to become the next breakout star. This did not happen. A spin off series did happen but it was a LONG road and one that was not fruitful.

In “Mouth of the Snake” it becomes clear that a backdoor pilot was being aired as Michael Knight and KITT are noticeably pushed into the background to have the Dalton character take center stage.

Dalton is played by Charles Taylor (credited as L. Charles Taylor). A Nam vet in the series but here a Guatemala vet who lost someone close to him. A man known only as Archibald (genre mainstay George Murdock) pulled Dalton out and uses him whenever the Justice Department can’t officially investigate something. It is strongly hinted at that Dalton has some kind of superpowers as even Michael Knight notes some of the things he does are above that of normal people. Dalton says “I don’t want to talk about it”.

The plot is average Knight Rider with Michael and The Foundation running afoul of a gun runner (experimental guns) and as happens Dalton and the Justice Department are investigating the same thing. A team up naturally erupts and everyone goes their own way at the end.

The episodes were ratings losers and are considered by Knight Rider fans in the bottom of the series, usually among the worst of the series.

The Dalton solo series was meant to be titled “All That Glitters” but whatever was planned for that was scrapped very quickly as Dalton goes from being a kind of superpowered “secret agent” on Knight Rider to a drifter that helps people when he gets his own adventures.

After his appearances on Knight Rider NBC commissioned a TV movie for Dalton: Code of Vengeance in 1986.

A great guest cast joined Taylor but Murdock was nowhere to be found. Guest starring Erin Gray, Charles Haid, Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, Chad Allen and Keenan Wynn. The movie was not well received by the network and was more or less burned off but unfortunately 6 episodes of a series had already been filmed. Now with more a Nam Vet wanderer vibe (remember this was a time when Rambo was one of the most popular characters in movies) the series began to air to no one watching. In fact the last 2 episodes were never aired as episodes, they were edited together and burned off as Dalton: Code of Vengeance II (directed by Alan Smithee, I might add).

Maybe it’s for the best that Dalton is forgotten… his Knight Rider pilot was not that good.

Friday the 13th:The Series was set for a spin-off. Why didn’t it happen? Really bad timing coupled with a set of circumstances out of the productions’ control.

Friday the 13th:The Series was based on the idea of the date being unlucky rather than the more famous masked killer (despite both being produced by Paramount). Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil for power on earth and in exchange he would sell cursed antiques through his antique store. Feeling guilty after a bit, Lewis goes back on the deal and old scratch cashes in the soul. Lewis’ niece and nephew along with a former ally now are tasked with finding and storing all of the cursed items in a magic vault… usually with the objects creating quite a bit of carnage along the way.

The show was quite good with an anthology feel to it all the while having continuing characters. It was also VERY graphic. See, this was 1987 and Tales from the Darkside had created a new first run syndication boom and since first run yyndication programs were far looser with restrictions than their network brethren this led to a gore and sex factor that a network series just could not match. This also made the episodes a lighting rod of controversy.

Ratings for Friday the 13th: The Series were always quite good, usually coming in just behind another Paramount show, Star Trek: The Next Generation which debuted at the same time. In fact the third Paramount show, War of the Worlds, was even gorier but that was far lower rated than it’s sister shows.

With strong ratings and a stable budget why was Friday the 13th: The Series cancelled at the end of the third season then?

It was a combination of factors.

One was that Paramount was starting to get sick of the non-stop controversy surrounding the show and then the episode “Hate On Your Dial” aired. This was a tale of a man going back in time to help his father get away with murdering a black civil rights leader in the 1960’s. Ku Klux Klan members, burning crosses and the use of… um colorful language to describe blacks was simply too much controversy this time. Couple this with the fact that Paramount had just lost the soundstages in Canada where the sets where built and this forced them to simply cease production.

A family is doggedly hunting down a demon. They have advanced weapons, tracking gear and a hatred of the paranormal. As said demon tears through them the Curious Good shop (the real main characters) seems to have the demonic temple which created the demon in question just below it under the basement. This of course leads the 2 groups into a head to head confrontation.

How does this all play into a backdoor pilot?

Well at the start of season 3 our main characters all took a back seat to a new set of characters, a family of demon hunters. The paramilitary demon hunters were created specifically to star in a new series. All but one of them die in the F13th episode but the father was meant (had the show been picked up) to start hunting the cultists who corrupted his daughter anew. The episode as aired sets up more than a few things to be used in the “new” series but which just become hanging threads as is.

Unfortunately as this episode, aired Paramount had already pulled the trigger on cancelling the series. The rest of the season was aired (the entire season was filmed beforehand) and no finale was ever shot. The demon hunters were never seen again because you don’t spin off a show you are cancelling now do you?

Watching the episode (simply title “Demon Hunter”) you get the distinct feeling that something is off. The normal main characters have only small roles in their own show and it’s obvious that this is a backdoor pilot. It’s not a bad one in that I would have liked to have seen these people in their own show or at the very least have them pop back up in the series proper but that is not how this played out.

Next time we shall look at some other pilots hidden in parent series.

What if D-Day had failed and the Third Reich continued to roll across Europe? Following in the alternate history footsteps of “The Man in the High Castle” and “Fatherland,” RESISTANCE shines a light on the little known British Resistance Organization (BRO), Churchill’s top-secret and highly trained civilian army designed to wreak havoc on occupying enemy forces. This BAFTA Award-winning revisionist drama will be available on DVD and Digital on March 7th from Omnibus Entertainment, the specialty label of award-winning independent and foreign film distributor Film Movement.

Starring Michael Sheen (“Masters of Sex”, Nocturnal Animals, Underworld), Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Oblivion) and “Game of Thrones” stars Iwan Rheon and Tom Wlaschiha, RESISTANCE, based on the acclaimed novel by Owen Sheers is set in Nazi-occupied Britain. D-Day has failed, and, as Panzer divisions and Nazi troops sweep westward across the dispirited countryside, Sarah Lewis (Riseborough), a young Welsh farmer’s wife, awakens to find that her husband, along with all the other men are gone – presumably having fled the village to join the top-secret BRO. Shortly thereafter, a small Wehrmacht platoon arrives in the pastoral countryside and sets up an outpost in the valley to root out the resistance. And when the severe winter forces them to cooperate with the locals, Sarah befriends the commanding officer, Albrecht (Wlaschiha), and the lines between collaboration, duty, occupation and survival are put to the test. Called “a beautiful, elliptical war film with the haunting qualities of a ghost story” by Empire Magazine, RESISTANCE was nominated for the prestigious Cinevision Award at the Berlin Film Festival and a BAFTA Cymru Winner for Best Actress (Sharon Morgan).

And we’ve got an exclusive clip!

And….we’re giving away three copies to Forces of Geek readers!

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

Resistance star Michael Sheen has portrayed British Prime Minister Tony Blair how many times on-screen?

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 March 26th, 2017.

The recent release of Horizon Zero Dawn has given me a lot to think about lately, in the game you find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by robots and mechanical animals. Some of these mechanised creatures resemble animals that already exist and others are…giant, rocket launching, dinosaur robots! I began thinking about how other animals are depicted in games and it prompted me to write about the fictional animals, critters and beasts I’ve encountered over the years.

This isn’t about fictional humanoid races like the Asari from Mass Effect, the Argonians from The Elder Scrolls games or the ancient Cetra of the Final Fantasy series, nor is it about anthropomorphic characters like Sonic the Hedgehog or Fox McCloud. More specifically, I’m exploring those fictional creatures that bear resemblance to real animals or are reminiscent of them in some way. This is why one of the first fictional animals that came to mind was a Chocobo.

Chocobos are large, flightless bird-like creatures most often used as transport in the Final Fantasy universe. Final Fantasy creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi has cited Hayao Miyazaki as an inspiration for their design and if you look at the horseclaws in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind you can see a definite similarity between the two. It’s said that Miyazaki’s own inspiration came from a prehistoric bird called a Gastornis.

Personally I find horses quite intimidating and so I like the idea of an avian mount, especially if I could have the Chocobo theme music playing every time I rode. The closest real life experience to riding a chocobo you can get is riding an ostrich.

There are even ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting humans riding large ostrich-like birds and some people in Africa still ride them today. Though, if it’s anything like the ostrich riding videos I’ve seen online I can see why it’s not as common practice as it once was. People seem to fall off more often than not, even the professional jockeys…yep, that’s right there are professional ostrich riders!

Moving on from cute, flightless birds to mythical flying beasts, the creatures I’m focusing on next are the Dragons from The Elder Scrolls franchise, though let’s get things straight, technically by definition they are wyverns but the games refer to them as dragons. Admittedly, I can’t say I blame Bethesda for that as ‘Wyvernborn’ doesn’t sound quite as cool as ‘Dragonborn’ does.

You might think this is a controversial choice as these dragons do have a language. However, to most of the regular NPC folk in Skyrim, their language is unintelligible and viewed much in the in the same way as a dog barking at another for example.

Wait, maybe the dogs of Tamriel do speak to one another, it’s just no one understands or is aware? I mean, Barbas the dog can speak! Though, he is a supernatural being who takes the form of a dog. Hmm, I guess pets of the Ancient Daedra Gods don’t count.

Back to the dragons, they are viewed as fearsome creatures with no reasoning abilities. They exist as predators who wreak havoc on the lives of NPCs living in Skyrim. They destroy crops, homes, whole villages and I’m pretty sure they eat people too. I mean how else do Stormcloak army uniforms end up inside a dragon? On second thoughts, maybe don’t try to answer that.

More terrifying than the dragons that roam Skyrim are the Headcrabs from Half-Life. The idea of a crab-like creature that feeds on your mind and can jump three metres into the air is enough to make me never want to venture onto a beach again. I don’t have a phobia of actual crabs but the existence of parasitic headcrabs would strike fear into my heart…and head.

Although there are other parasitic animals in the Half-Life universe, the headcrab is the most iconic and their ability to control their hosts nervous system is a trait which makes them formidable enemies. If they were real, something tells me humanity would fall drastically from the top of the food chain.

I mean, they’re remarkable creatures, resistant to radioactivity and toxicity and they could live practically anywhere and live through anything. However, unlike the facehuggers from the Alien film franchise (which undoubtedly must have been the inspiration for headcrabs), they can be destroyed with a crowbar…looks like our food chain place is secured after all.

Of course one does not simply write about fictional animals without mentioning Pokémon. Cutesy creatures to catch, collect, train and fight. Ultimately it’s all a bit cruel to trap animals in a tiny balls and battle them against one another but as someone who used to also watch the cartoons as a kid I remember several episodes that were focused on saving or helping out wild Pokémon, some of whom, as recompense for Ash’s kindness became good friends with the group. It was about friendship, guys. Isn’t that just beautiful?

Perhaps the most iconic of the bunch is Pikachu but they each have their own unique personalities and attacks. If they were non-fictional and living in our world, we’d be admiring Persians in zoos alongside the lions and tigers or freaking out over cute baby Eevee videos on YouTube. Just think of all the interesting pets we could have too. Oh man, I’d totally want a Snorlax to snuggle up to during my Terrace House Netflix binges!

Then again, despite their cute demeanours, they’re all dangerous animals meaning we’d have to deal with things like fire breath, electric currents and poison. I’m not sure that’s a world I’m happy to live in, we have enough problems right now as it is. I don’t want to live in fear of being stung by a Beedrill or find myself face-to-face with an Onix.

Finally, there’s the various fauna in No Man’s Sky. This is a game with multiple procedurally generated animal species. Of course I can’t name any of them specifically unless I find them on an undiscovered planet and name them myself. However, what’s amazing about the fauna in No Man’s Sky is that there are 21 genera, meaning the game can spawn millions of different animal variants! And I thought 802 Pokémon weren’t enough!
Despite the sense of wonder and discovery, players often describe the game as lonely due to the fact that you can’t see any other players and in a game that has a possible 18.5 quintillion planets to explore that’s understandable. That said, you can tame various creatures by feeding them and in return they will find you resources, mine minerals or ward off hostile creatures.

Sadly, you can’t take your companions with you, no Pokéball-esque technology exists in this game but the fact you can have part-time pets is kind of sweet I guess? Or is it that you’re simply abandoning your new best friends when you go from planet to planet? They might look slightly derpy or weird but that’s no excuse for abandonment!

Oh God…we’re all terrible people.

I’m definitely a terrible person, I spent an inordinate amount of time arguing with myself over whether or not to include Moogles on this list (I’m sorry, kupo)! I didn’t in the end because I saw sense. Although they may look like adorable mole/bat hybrids they do possess sentience, even if it does vary with each moogle. Some are shop owners or deliver the mail whereas others can be less talkative or exist as soul-less plushies imbued with magic.

In Final Fantasy X, the character Lulu uses black magic on a moogle doll to make attacks for her and in FFXV, a squeaky giant moogle can be used as a decoy for the characters which raises some rather problematic race issues within the Final Fantasy universe. I feel the urge to start a petition for the equality of moogles #MoogleEqualityKupo

In fact, this whole piece could easily have become a debate on sentience in animals, speciesism or animal rights but I didn’t feel like inciting the wrath of PETA and it’s a heavier subject than I usually deal with.

However, for those of you inclined to do extra reading (I’m usually that person), the philosopher Peter Singer has written plenty of essays on the subject. Maybe it’s another subject for me to write about another time, let me know in the comments section if that’s something you’d enjoy.

Creator/writer/star Issa Rae brings her fresh voice to HBO with this painfully funny new comedy series, which follows best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) as they navigate the tricky professional and personal terrain of Los Angeles, while facing the challenges of being two black women who defy all stereotypes. Insecure explores the black female experience in a subtle, witty and authentic way, as Issa and Molly stumble their way towards pulling their lives together, while trying their hardest to never settle for less.

And we’re giving away two copies!

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

Which former The Nightly Show host co-created Insecure with series star Issa Rae?

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 April 2nd, 2017.

Produced by Peter Spirer, Kevin J. Burroughs
Written by Peter Spirer
Directed by Kevin J. Burroughs
Featuring Don Nerone, Chuck Rush,
Ben Craft, Butch Pierce
Narrated by W. Earl Brown

I’ve never been much of a vehicle racing fan. Sure, I went to a few of my friends’ dirt bike races as a kid, and I’d check out the Indy 500 most years, but that was about it.

Still, I went into this doc with an open mind.

Smash introduces us to a handful of rural Floridians who take a break from their everyday lives to occasionally participate in school bus races.

That’s right: 19 school buses are revamped and painted and raced against each other on a 3/8 mile-long track.

Not just any 3/8 mile-long track: it’s a figure 8 track. So yes, huge, clunky school buses driving full speed crisscross in the middle intersection, so of course there are more than a few collisions.

We get to know a few of these seemingly crazy drivers, including Butch Pierce and Ben Craft.

The races are a major outlet for these guys, and for some, it is a dominant part of their lives.

One of the racers even got married at the track on race day.

We watch as they bid on vehicles and/or parts at auctions, make repairs on their buses, and paint them with designs and catchphrases.

I didn’t have much interest in the subject, and yet I had a lot of fun with this film. These guys take the races seriously, and realize they could get hurt. But at base, it’s just a helluva good time for them – and the fans – and that’s infectious.

The climactic race is indeed exciting, and with the buses juuuuust missing each other as they hurtle through the figure 8, genuinely hair-raising.

We also get to see the equally nuts prelude to the main event: a race with trucks towing speedboats! Of course, much speedboat-fishtailing is involved…

At just over an hour long, Smash doesn’t wear out its welcome. It’s short and sweet; director Kevin J. Burroughs was wise to keep the running time on the brief side.

With actor W. Earl Brown’s (Deadwood, Preacher) just-right narration, SMASH achieves the right tone throughout.

Even if you hate NASCAR and the like, the school bus gimmick – and peek inside a tiny, rural community – may just win you over.

Smash: Motorized Mayhem arrives on On Demand and iTunes March 21

IDW Publishing’s Disney comics in the US has been great for fans. It means that not only will our favorite characters’ stories continue but that we’ll periodically be treated to new, high-quality prints of English-language stories previously published overseas in other languages. Disney comics have enjoyed a much more robust life in Europe over the past few decades so, unless we gather scans from online friends or cozy up with eBay and a translation guide, we welcome IDW’s trade releases.

Here are three Mickey-centric Disney trades to share with you this week.

The first, Donald & Mickey: The Magic Kingdom Collection, offers assorted stories inspired by Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom . It includes not only a few from the US but, oddly enough, a pair of Danish stories and one from Italy.

The second, titled Mickey’s Craziest Adventures, is from the French team Lewis Trondheim and Nicolas Keramidas, offering a truly weird and wacky interpretation of our favorite mouse.

Finally there is the slightly misnamed Mickey Mouse: Shadow of the Colossus, only because “Colossus” is not the only long-form story in the book. This offers a broader international gathering of stories from even more countries than Collection, putting varied Mickey styles back-to-back.

Remember The Magic…?

Trade: Donald & Mickey: The Magic Kingdom Collection
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release: January 17, 2017

When most Disney comics fans see a title based on one of the parks, they uncontrollably cringe.

They fear the worst has happened: Either some poor sap or, worse, a seasoned veteran has been asked to help promote the park, a ride or an attraction through a completely contrived story that panders to some marketing executive’s expectations.

Lucky for us, however, this book is a pleasant mix, offering some truly enjoyable stories and only a small bit of contrived schlock.

There are seven encapsulated stories each featuring some mix of Disney’s fab five along with a few international fan favorites.

Interestingly, the stories are not presented in any noticeable order but they did do a nice job of not over repeating specific villains. This also pulls stories from the Danish publication Anders And & Co. and the Italian mag Topolino.

The title is a little odd since, in at least a couple instances, neither Donald nor Mickey are in the main story being told.

The first story, “Fantastic River Race,” (1957, Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland #1) features a story by ye ol’ Duck man himself, Carl Barks, offering a jolly jaunt down the river with a trip down memory lane. Here Scrooge McDuck recounts an adventure aboard the Dilly Dollar, the paddleboat (a.k.a. a “stern-wheeler”) supposedly floating through Disneyland.

A young Scrooge, along with Gyro’s grandfather, Ratchet Gearloose, meet the mustachioed Beagle Boys who want to claim a shipment of gold as their own. The story is filled with the usual Barksian hijinks including clever situationally appropriate distractions – sticky molasses in the paddles and sulfur steam – culminating in Scrooge’s unlikely yet profitable success. It’s the classic Barks as we’ve come to know and love in modern ink.

The next story, however, “Donald and Mickey in Frontierland,” (1971, Walt Disney Comics Digest #32) smacks a bit harsher, with Mickey and Donald rushing to get to Grizzly Hall in Frontierland for a County Bear jamboree. The styles between the stories are also a bit of a clash going from such an ionic look to the more modern Mickey-in-a-bow-tie.

Mickey and Donald are swept into an adventure – mostly as observers – to gather three lazy bears and bring them back to the theater so the show can go on as scheduled. Luckily, this is only an eight-pager, so the hoke is short lived. I consider this pallet cleanser to the rest of the book, offering something very young readers will likely enjoy. It is talking bears. You can easily gloss over this section and pretend it never existed.

The third story, “Red Rogue’s Treasure,” (1992, Anders And & Co. #9) puts us back into the past with Scrooge once again recounting an adventure inspired by something in the park rather than based on it. Here we get a bit of Magica de Spell, the feisty witch nemesis who often relies on foof bombs (as in bombs that go “foof”) and magical transformations to try and thieve Scrooge’s lucky dime. It’s silly, a little fun an included monkeys throwing coconuts.

In “Goofy in Fantasyland,” (1955, Donald Duck in Disneyland #1), we get just that: Goofy with Pluto and Daisy Duck trouncing all over the park. And, like most Disney amusement park rides, something goes amiss to help make the ride a bit more enjoyable. The art here has a much looser style that we’re used to seeing with Disney, with wavy panel boxes and uneven line weights. It does get a bit meta when even the characters in the story cannot tell when characters are actively part of the story or part of the story’s set. But, it makes up for its flaws by mashing characters into each other – the dwarves, Queen of Hearts, Jiminy Cricket, Mister Toad, Peter Pan and the Wicked Witch – in such a weird way that it completely embraces its own obviousness.

“Plunkett’s Emporium” (1992, Anders And & Co. #21) gets back to that more classic, lush look of the older comics. We once again see Scrooge reminiscing, this time along Main Street in Disneyland. Here we get to see another classic matchup between Scrooge and Glomgold, this time when they are younger and working side-by-side in Plunkett’s. The McGuffin here is the first one to find cinnamon will become the sole proprietor of the emporium. And, of course, Scrooge finds a way to win for losing.

Barks is brought back in “Mastering the Matterhorn” (1959, Disneyland: Four Color) which does not even make mention of the park. Instead, it sets the story on the Matterhorn itself with Donald and his nephews at odds with the Beagle Boys after discovering diamonds buried beneath the snow at the peak. It’s a method that, used twice prior, seems to work rather nicely. It keeps the focus on characters interacting rather than visiting the park.

“Incredible Disneyland Adventure” (1985, Topolino #1552) looks a bit more sketchy and stretchy than we’re used to and takes a humorously meta approach to a Disney park story. Mickey Mouse is knocked out by a stranger on the train ride home. After he finally comes to, things are not quite right when his house is essentially empty and everyone is calling him Fred. This story includes classic baddie Pete, a (*gasp!*) talking Dopey, and even a few park castmembers. It soon becomes a Forest Gump meets The Brady Bunch gallop through the park, hitting all the highlights while acknowledging that the park characters are humans wearing costumes. It’s in interesting international perspective on our parks that is well worth reading.

Wanna Get Crazy? Let’s Get Crazy!

Trade: Mickey’s Craziest Adventures
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release: December 16, 2016
Here is a collection that any Disney comics fan should consider a must-read treat. I mean, forgotten comics that even the great Disney archivist, Dave Smith, doesn’t know about? C’est incroyable!

As explained in the book’s brief introduction, this is a collection of 44 single-page installments published between 1962 and 1969 in issues Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories: Mickey’s Quest.

Except, it’s not.

Yes, this is fake.

I mean, sure, these are real Disney comics, however, they were not previously published and are certainly not from the 1960s. These are instead modern interpretations of a ye old Disney comic book story.

All the so-called comic pages are printed in full color with quite a bit of what appears to be grit, stains and even a few (convenient) tears. It begins with Chapter 2 and it leaps over chapters, allowing the stories to progress rather quickly.

The art is quite inconsistent early on, often looking like they changed artists each week, but that does soon even out early in the book. Mickey is also a bit more malleable than we’re used to seeing – especially for older strips – and it sometimes feels like they forgot how to draw Donald. Several pages look a bit amateurish, also cutting a bit into the illusion.

The first common theme – which kicks in after about the third comic (Chapter 7) – is when Donald has a chance encounter with Gyro’s shrink ray. He’s soon joined by Mickey and, of course, a giant spider.

The next has Mickey and Donald chasing Beagle Boys in the jungle, where the art style gets a little more sketchy and, after a few pages, the puns get wackier. That somehow leads them to the desert to a secret science facility that then launches them deep within the earth.

Hey, it’s a comic book. It doesn’t need to make complete sense… right?

About half way through is where it becomes a little obvious that this isn’t quite the old comic it claims to be. For one, Velociraptors are a dinosaur that was made popular by the Jurassic Park movies, even though the name may be from the 1920s. They also briefly happen across some natives who look very dog-like (and not nearly as potentially offensive as in the original comics – see The Uncensored Mouse comics).

One nice touch is the rather thick German-ish accent presented in dialog for wacky scientist Dr. Einmug.

I’ve heard that Disney likes to stay away from such things, at least in the US, so our friends across the pond are welcome to be as verboten as they want.

The story gets really surreal at one point, with the Disney duo riding a giant magical mushroom machine that, when individual fungi are popped, send them flying in the opposite direction. This lands them in the final terrain they have left to visit, the frozen arctic. Until they get launched into space, that is. Oh, and then into the underwater city, Atlantis, where, oddly enough, they can breath just fine. Yet they needed helmets in space. Go figure.

The backgrounds in all these stories are simply gorgeous and really lend themselves to the illusion of older comics. It’s Mickey and Donald, however, that occasionally get in the way and break the illusion. They are simply too fluid and wobbly with expressions and treatments that are a little too modern. By placing these books in the ’60s they obviously tried giving themselves a bit more freedom.

The beauty of this book is that you can easily hand it to someone not in the know and they would fully believe they are reading lost comics. The staggered story telling is a pretty genius tactic, although skipping every other chapter so many times in a row would rings a bit wrong with any collector. I mean, who would let go of every other comic in a series?

Despite my nitpicking of some of the Mickey and Donald treatments, I love this book. The illusion is just believable enough and presented well enough so that even die-hard Disney fans will do a fair bit of second guessing. Sure, printed grit and stains have been done before (a few Fantagraphics books come to mind) but the sometimes subtle applications feel like they came from someone who really has comics with those stains on them (and I’d not at all be surprised to learn they had scanned books in their collection to get those effects).

I plan on gifting this book one to my mom. On April 1st, of course.

Release the Kraken, er, Collossus!

Trade: Mickey Mouse: Shadow of the Colossus
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release: August 16, 2016

IDW has collected several stories here beyond the cover title culled from various eras and countries, darting from the 2000s to the ’50s and back, with myriad decades following. We get treated to stories translated from Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish and even a couple originally written in English. There’s not really a tying element between the books except, perhaps, that some do include some type of historical element.

The book’s namesake story, “Shadow of the Colossus,” (2005, Topolino #2593) begins the book, featuring Mickey, Goofy and their archeologist friend Eurasia Toft on the island of Rhodes. The art has a rather cel-shaded feel with solid lines, solid coloring, a complete lack of shadowing, very sparse use of fades and heavy crosshatching in only a couple places, giving the story a vibrant look, causing a lot of the action to jump off the panels.

The trio is chasing down the massive statue – i.e. the Rhodes Colossus – that once supposedly stood over the waterway entrance to Rhodes. After they get a button (of both meanings) from the statue, they meet up with a band of purple-clad minion types called the Horde of the Violet Hare who happen to specialize in acquiring ancient technologies. The violet bad guys have your standard evil equipment – super sub, machine guns, etc. – and report to Dr. Malvazar and his monkey sidekick. He’s also the one who discovered that the massive statue is actually an automaton that can be controlled thanks to those giant buttons.

Between the two Colossus books, there are two short story interludes including a Dutch one-page Horace Horsecollar story with Minnie and Clarabelle (“Statuesque Scholar,” 2005, Donald Duck #34) and a two-page story with Goofy and Ellsworth (1950, Mickey Mouse Sunday comic strip).

Following the Colossus story is “No Good Deed” (2008, Mickey Maus #16) featuring Peg Leg Pete, who I didn’t think ever got to headline a story. After robbing the Bank of Mouston and beating back Mickey, Pete gets help from an especially friendly kid. It turns out the little tyke is actually and alien who thinks he can reform Pete (you know, Disney’s oldest villain). It’s kinda cute but an unusually dark story for Disney, both visually and thematically.

After another Goofy & Ellsworth gag (“Cat Crusader”, 1951, Mickey Mouse Sunday comic strip), Goofy, Mickey and the truly weird Eega Beeva form the future star in “Second Childhood at Gneezle Gnob” (1981, Mickey #348).
For those of you not familiar with Eega, he’s a Silly Putty®-colored creature with a giant nose, wears a tiny black skirt and has what looks like mittens for hands and feet. He also speaks by adding the letter “P” before pretty pmuch peverything. (Pannoying, pain’t it?)

Led by Eeega’s pet, Pflip the Thuckle-Booh, they stumble upon Gneezels, tiny elf-like creatures who live in the forest and can over inhale to turn into wacky bouncing balls. After a bit of miscommunication, they decide that Mikey and Goofy were trying to hunt them down. Naturally, they escape and stumble upon the Fountain of Youth and its partner pool, the Fountain of Maturity. It’s a cute story that will appeal more you very young readers mostly because of the truly silly characters. I’m just glad they didn’t turn Gneezels into a real bouncy ball toy. *shudder*

In “Song of the Squinch” (2013, Kalle Anka & Co.), Mickey is called in by Clarabelle to help deal with a pair of swindlers who loaned her money for home repairs. Mr. Squinch comes to collect the money owed to him but decides to give Clarabelle an extra day, only so he and his partner can try to pilfer it to double their money.  As part of his ruse, he flirts with Clarabelle which, if you’ve seen her in anything, seems to be her Kryptonite.

Following that is a much longer Ellsworth story, this time shared with Mickey, “The Bridge on the River Ai-Yai” (1976, Topolino). Ellsworth is a wisecracking and above average intelligence mynah bird who, for this story, has adopted a son, another mynah named Ellroy. He eventually bumps into an old friend, Flappity McFlop (love that name), who claims Ellsworth owes a fortune. It seems that Ellsworth used to help operate a swinging bridge and, due to a bit of an accident, a pair of ships were completely crushed.

This is a rather adventure-free story that falls a bit flat.

We get another one page gag strip after that, “Safety First” (1935, Mickey Mouse Annual #6) featuring Minnie, Clarabelle and a couple cute twins. It has that old, scratchy feel Disney fans appreciate from the truly old strips like this.

The final story in the book is “Foolproof” (2011, Kaczor Donald) which once again pits Pete against Mickey, who seems to work for the police whenever the need arises. In this one, Pete – who has remarkably devil-ish hair here – is out on parole. Mickey decides to follow him, expecting to catch the lifelong bad guy quickly returning to his naughty nature. Along the way Mikey is called out as a stalker, accused of sabotaging a custard factory (oh the horror!) and so on, causing him to instead start running from the law. But never fear, things usually turn out OK for Mickey, especially in these more modern stories.

Please Note: Books are provided from the publisher in digital format for review purposes. As such, physical attributes – including print ink quality, paper stock and the like – of the publications are not reviewed.

Movie night! Game night! Trivia night! Doctor Who night! Game of Thrones! The Walking Dead! Club night!

As much as we may have a reputation for being a bit on the loner side, the reality is that we nerds, geeks, and other obsessives love to come together in groups small and large. And what better way to enjoy these get togethers than with some fine food? And…if not fine food, then at least interesting food.

And hey, lucky for us, geeks and nerds have no shortage on creativity. And that they love to share. Here are just four great sites on-line that offer up some fun recipes and instructions for geek and nerd-themed foods to bring to your next gathering and celebration:

Little Miss Nerd Chef

This is a nicely organized site–very clear and easy to follow–featuring a variety of nerdist recipes. While it’s not the biggest number of recipes I’ve seen, I expect that the site will add more recipes as the months go on. It’s a great site for getting started in nerd cookery. In addition to the recipes, the site’s author includes some entertaining write-ups and kitchen tips. Some featured recipes include: Pokebowls, Final Fantasy XIV Tomato Pie, Harry Potter Shepherd’s Pie, and Sherlock Black Lotus Cupcakes.

The Nifty Nerd

This site covers not just recipes, but geeky DIY projects and cosplay tutorials. The recipes provided at this site are all pretty easy and quick, so if you’re the sort who can be intimidated by cooking, fear not! The recipes here are all pretty low-pressure. Featured recipes include: Koopasta from Paper Mario, Dragonriders of Pern Meatrolls, Anime Cream Stew, and Deadpool Chimichanga.

The Geeky Chef

Covering television and video games, the geeky chef has you covered. This is another very well organized site with some excellent recipe choices. Some of the recipes are a bit more involved than others, but all within reason for any decent kitchen. There is a recipe for Romulan ale that strikes me as having a legitimate “ale” texture to it–and a fairly smooth concoction overall–but maintain than clear blue liquid we’re used to seeing in the Star Trek franchise. (Note: I’m 17 years sober, but I remember enough of what the ingredients taste like to still be able to attest its smoothness and kick.) Other recipes include Toriel’s Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie, Garmonbozia, Seheron Fish Sandwich, and ChimiCherryChanga.

Kitchen Overlord

You may already know about the site’s owner, Chris-Rachael Oseland. She has written at least six geek-inspired cookbooks and shows up at both food-related conferences and geek conventions. The illustrated recipes (illustrated by Tom Gordon) provided at her site are truly inspired. Fun cooking! I promise you, if you decide to jump into geek cookery, you will be visiting this site over and over again. Check out Soylent Green Ration Crackers, Princess Buttercups, Gelatinous Cube Jello Shots, Frelling Food Cubes, and the Cafe Diem Five Alarm Chili.

Mental Floss: 11 Nerdy Recipes from Books, Movies and TV

Finally, this isn’t a dedicated nerd food site, but the good folks at Mental Floss are always good for an informative read. It was this piece, in fact, that got me interested in nerd cookery to begin with. The article is pretty split between food and drink, and it’s not a bad starting spot for potential geek chefs. Check out the recipes for Dothraki Blood Pie, the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, Butterbeer, and Futurama‘s Popplers.

This should get you well on your way to wowing your friends at your next gathering. Whether you’re hosting or potlucking or just passing time on a rainy afternoon, there is no excuse for boring food.

Not anymore, anyway.

Cheers!

Following up on an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign late last year, GWAR will bring the blasphemous, blood-soaked series that fans demanded to print in June, courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment!

From the depths of outer space to the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, punk rock and heavy metal’s most shocking band of intergalactic blood-spewing alien monsters has returned to kill everything and respect nothing in the pages of GWAR: Orgasmageddon! Banished to the past by the cold and calculating Mr. Perfect, the heroes of GWAR trample through time like a deranged Bill & Ted on bath salts. Antics ensue as they stomp and smash and shape human history to what we accept as our current reality. Co-written by GWAR themselves and Matt Miner (Toe Tag Riot, Critical Hit), and featuring art by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer (Welcome Back, Critical Hit), GWAR: Orgasmageddon is a love letter to comics, grindhouse movies, and heavy metal, sure to appeal both to the most die-hard fan and the comics fanboy/fangirl intrigued by the prospect of social awareness drowned in geysers of blood and alien goo.

“It’s awesome to have a comic coming out! We had some in the 90’s, but it’s about time we got back into the comic book world,” says Matt Maguire, better known in the band lineup as Sawborg Destructo. “When Matt Miner and I first talked, everything clicked and I knew we were going to do a cool project. It was really cool to see all the support from the fans who pledged money to Kickstarter. We knew people wanted to see more GWAR comics, so it was great to reach our goal. We can’t wait to show all of the amazing work that is being generated for this comic! With Dynamite in our corner, it’s gonna be a big book!”

Regarding what GWAR fans will love most about the series, Maguire adds, “The blood… maybe the story… but mostly the blood. Oh, did we mention that Slymenstra Hymen is gonna be in it? And oh yeah — blood!”

“I always wanted to be the guy to help bring GWAR to modern-day comics,” says writer Matt Miner. “Most people when they get into comics want to do Batman or Spider-Man or write the next great Punisher story, but I really, really wanted to write my favorite scumdogs of the universe… the all-mighty GWAR! (Although working on that other stuff would be cool, too). At 16 years old, I fell in love with this band of alien monster rockstars and their tongue-in-cheek style of blood-soaked and irreverent social commentary, so when I started making comics a few years ago, I just felt the calling: I MUST MAKE GWAR COMICS! Taking the book to Kickstarter was a great first step for us because we got a ton of amazing press and lots of love and support from fans. It’s sure to be the greatest — or, at least, the bloodiest and funniest — comic book series of 2017!”

Regarding the concept and audience for the new series, Miner says, “People who love fun comics are gonna dig this crazy story that dives into the past and shows how GWAR not only created humans, but shaped our history to what we now know as our actual modern day reality. GWAR fans are going to love that all the creators on the book are fans — every single one, from me and artist Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, all the way to every single variant cover artist — and GWAR themselves are contributing art and co-writing the book, to boot. This isn’t a case of us getting the license and then running with it; we collaborate very closely with the band and are in almost constant contact during the creation. Fans of comics with a deeper meaning may have to dig through the blood, the guts, and the sometimes off-color jokes, but they’re gonna find what they’re looking for; GWAR has always been a mirror held up to the worst aspects of humanity, so that social satire and consciousness is there, although it may be splattered with politician brains and alien bile. You do not need to be a GWAR fan to have a ton of fun with this comic!”

“Anyone who is familiar with GWAR’s theatrical performances, and over their thirty-year history will agree that this band is perfectly suited to the comic book page,” says Dynamite CEO and publisher, Nick Barrucci. “It seems only fitting that these masters of gore find their published home alongside the comic book adventures of the original shock rockers, KISS!”

GWAR: Orgasmageddon #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ April 2017 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June.  Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of GWAR with their local comic book retailers. GWAR: Orgasmageddon will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.

Cyanide & Happiness, the #1 animated comedy show on YouTube has debuted their much-anticipated custom Emoji and Avatar Creator app on iOS and Android. Packed with the same dark and offensive humor, this is your chance to win a fully unlocked premium version of the newly released free application.

The Cyanide & Happiness Emoji and Avatar Creator will let you insert Cyanide & Happiness emoji’s right into your conversations! It’s the perfect way to let your friends know that you’ve got cyanide on the brain (in a good way?).

The Avatar creator is for all of those that suck at drawing stick figures, but think it looks easy. Good news– turning yourself into a C&H character IS easy! You can choose between a wide range of skin tones, cool outfits, hair styles and some crude hand gestures!

You can even put that avatar into a fancy picture, or a picture of your fancy head on your new fancy stick-body.

Cyanide & Happiness Emojis is available for iOS and Android.

To download the app, please click HERE!

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*SPOILERS* if you haven’t seen Logan.

James Mangold’s Logan is, before almost anything else, an R-rated movie. The film goes out of its way to sever heads, drop swears, and even two more breasts than any other superhero movie that doesn’t have Ryan Reynolds in tights. In this way, Logan establishes itself as an edgy counter to mainstream comic book films – particularly Marvel’s sanitized hero presentations.

Throughout the film, it becomes more and more clear that Logan isn’t merely setting itself apart from other comic book movies as a cash grab; it’s legitimately trying to make a statement on the comic book film genre as a whole.

Logan Is A Western



James Mangold, who previously directed the 3:10 To Yuma remake, considers his movie a classic Western. Relatively early in the film, there’s an extended moment where the characters watch scenes from the classic Western, Shane.  From this, we can extrapolate this film as the primary inspiration behind Logan. The other major motivation was Mangold’s desire to watch Wolverine separate endless body parts from their bodies.

Mangold himself even just straight up says Logan is a Western. “When Chris Nolan made the Batman movies, they were noir films,” Mangold says. “We’re making kind of a Western… For me, the key is not to think about making a comic-book movie but to think about making a movie and just let the fact that your characters are superheroes be a reality.”

And indeed we can see many comparisons. Evil-twin Wolverine (X-24) wears a black tank top to Logan’s white tank top mirroring the “black hat vs. white hat” of classic Westerns including Shane. The movie itself is primarily set in the deserts of Mexico and North Dakota, on the outskirts of “civilization.” Thematically, both Shane and Logan deal with an aging “gunslinger” whose violent past is at odds with the community they’re trying to protect.

Unsurprisingly, both of these men fail to incorporate themselves into a stable family unit, no matter how hard they try. While both movies note that men of violence are sometimes important to a community, they’re not really men that can build a true family. While Logan, Laura, and Professor X band together into a little ragtag family for awhile, it ultimately fails and is mired in tragedy. Their attempt to civilize even ends up murdering a “real” family – the Munsons.

Logan Is A Latter-Day Western

Okay so Logan is a Western. Who cares? What does that add to the story? Why didn’t we get to see Logan dual-wield revolvers? Well, just as Shane signaled the end of a genre that couldn’t last forever, Logan too wants to be remembered as the film that marked the end of comic book movies.

Comic book movies are today’s Westerns. Not necessarily because they cover the same ground thematically, but because comic book movies have become established genre films that follow certain sets of rules and work to meet audience expectations with each film. Both genres are also uniquely American in a way that few film genres are. And like Westerns were in the 30s and 40s, comic book movies are immensely popular and lucrative.

But, of course, Westerns are popular no longer and movie audiences have moved elsewhere. Latter-day Westerns saw the end coming and often commented on what they saw as the state of the Western genre.

Similarly, Logan‘s brutal violence and self-awareness within the comic book genre structure hearkens to Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch, which, like Shane, is as much about Western films as it is about the actual plot of the movie. The heroes of The Wild Bunch are old cowboys past their prime who go on one last brutal, suicidal mission. They hope to pay penance for their violent sins and to “end well.”

Whereas previous Westerns tended to come across as a little sanitized due to a lack of violence and simplistic themes, The Wild Bunch was notable for having more violence and nudity than almost any movie before it, Western or otherwise. It used this shock value to contrast the “fun” violence of previous Westerns with the horror of real-life violence. To Peckinpah, the way Westerns dealt with violence had become dated and potentially even harmful, especially in light of brutal wars like Vietnam.

“Real Life” Isn’t Like The Comic Books

Logan too ups the ante on comic book movies by increasing the violence and giving the film a real darkness and grit. Logan’s daughter/clone Laura loves her some X-Men comic books (an in-universe example of sanitized stories). Logan is furious at the Laura for reading what he says is only maybe 25% true and dangerously unrealistic.

“In the real world,” Logan explains angrily. “People die.“

The comic book film genre loves to show extreme violence sanitized by a lack of gore in order to stick to a PG-13 rating. Just like The Wild Bunch before it, Logan uses violence to show the sickening reality of what superhero violence would be like in real life. Even when Marvel films like Captain America: Civil War bring up the unfortunate implications of super powered beings, it’s still done in a very bloodless and fun way. Logan wants you to feel the brutality of killing. While there is still something innately cool about watching Logan slice people like a well-trained sushi chef, there’s a weight to all this death. It’s something to be feared and avoided.

Ironically, previous X-Men films used Logan’s invincibility to make light of violence. But by the events of Logan, everybody Logan has known and loved is basically dead. Violence isn’t fun anymore. And of course, Logan is killed in the end, further proving his point that unlike comic books real superheroes can’t just come back to life whenever is convenient. Death is permanent. In Logan, Wolverine himself is representative of older films in the genre, and like Wolverine, comic book movie’s invincibility is a façade that can’t last forever.

But Logan’s commentary extends much further than a simple comparison to Westerns.

Mutants have Lost Their Potency

Like Wolverine for older comic book films, other mutants in Logan represent individual movies in the genre. The old, popular mutants are either already dead or well on their way. Professor X can’t control his brain powers without drugs, and Logan walks with an unhealed limp. These two were once titans of their industry, but are now worn out. While a little of their old power remains, it’s only a matter of time before they’re put out of their misery. The world no longer cares for these mutants and, by extension, their films.

Mutants inject themselves with a shot of a serum for a temporary return to strength, but the effects don’t last long and offers diminishing returns. Too many of these “shots” will kill Logan outright. Similarly, while successive comic book movies give themselves “shots in the arm” with new locations, heroes, and set pieces, they’re only delaying the inevitable as audiences are beginning to tire of the standard formulas.

Good “Mutants” Can’t Be Built In A Lab



Characters in Logan address the issue of disappearing and dying mutants by creating new mutants in a lab. Whereas all previous mutants were “organic,” these new mutants are 100% cooked up by scientists from the DNA of old mutants. These new mutants are highly unstable and are considered to not really be useable.

Again, we see how these mutants are stand-ins for latter day comic book movies. Whereas earlier movies organically created outstanding films with compelling characters, later films try too hard to tread the same ground. Every new villain is some second-rate Joker from The Dark Knight and every new hero’s primary personality trait is “sarcasm” á la Tony Snark.

But both the later mutants and comic book films have something scientists – and studios – don’t want them to have. The hint of a “soul.”

They Want To Build “Mutants” Without A Soul



The scientists decide their created mutants are unusable due to a lack of bloodlust. The have too much of a soul left. The scientists take the creation process one step further and build direct clones out of older mutants’ DNA, but remove any scraps of humanity. In Logan, this results in black-tanktop Wolverine X-24, who kills Professor X and essentially puts an end to the last vestiges of the older mutants. He literally kills the last goodwill of the older movies.

The souls of comic book movies are the directors. Auteur directors once had true creative control over their films and used it to great effect. Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi, and Jon Favreau have been replaced with no-name directors who do exactly what the studio wants. The “cinematic universe” is built at the expense of the individual films.

Obviously, X-Men movies will continue, but Wolverine’s story is over. Logan asks the audience to consider whether the genre itself can survive much longer. Should studios continue to pump out increasingly derivative movies with aging stars and dwindling box office returns, or should they go out with a bang and run off to Canada never to fight again? ‘

Logan itself doesn’t seem quite sure as its ending can’t seem to quite close the door all the way on its heroes.

Maybe it should have.

Today, Dynamite Entertainment made several announcements, revealing details of upcoming new titles that will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ April 2017 Previews catalog and are scheduled for June release.

NEW ASH VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS COMIC BOOK SERIES CELEBRATES THE CULT HORROR FILM’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A SPECTACULAR 99-CENT INTRODUCTORY #0 ISSUE

Co-Writers Chad Bowers and Chris Sims (of Marvel’s X-Men ’92) Join Artist Mauro Vargas for the Next Spine-Chilling Chapter of the Chosen One, Ash Williams!

Dynamite Entertainment is proud to launch Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness, an all-new series in the popular comic book franchise based on the 1992 cult favorite film, with a #0 issue at the introductory retail price of only $0.99. This great value, billed as “S-Mart Special Pricing” as a in-joke to hardcore AOD enthusiasts, will welcome new fans as the perfect comic book “impulse buy”. The opening chapter in the latest Army of Darkness epic comes courtesy of the red-hot writing team of Chad Bowers and Chris Sims (X-Men ’92, Swordquest), along with artist Mauro Vargas (Crossed: Badlands).

For 25 years, Ash Williams has been waging a war in film and comics against the Army of Darkness. Now, Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present the next thrilling chapter, kicking off in this special prelude! Ash may be the Chosen One, but that doesn’t mean he can hold down a steady job at S-Mart. When he’s scrambling for employment, will he find himself once again thrown into battle against the Deadites? Here’s a hint: The book ain’t called Ash: The Guy With A Regular Job Who Doesn’t Battle Against The Forces of Evil.

“Army of Darkness, and really Sam Raimi’s entire filmography, is such a major influence on how we approach storytelling,” says co-writer Chad Bowers. “Being turned loose inside that sandbox and having a chance to add to the AOD mythology feels like something we’ve been working toward for years, and hopefully it reads that way, too. And I dare anybody to tell me Ash Williams isn’t the toughest ass-kicker in horror! What he lacks in brains, he more than makes up for by having a chainsaw for a hand. That’ll get you a long way in this world!”

“I saw Army of Darkness when I was nine, and I’ve literally described it as a life-changing experience. It might’ve been the most influential movie I’ve ever watched — in terms of the stories that I like and how much I love smartass everyman heroes that stumble into having to do the right thing — and almost everything I’ve written has had a variation on that idea kicking around in it,” says co-writer Chris Sims. “One of our big goals whenever we sit down to write a new story is to keep things moving fast enough that nobody has a chance to get bored, and with Ash, escalating those situations was so much fun.”

“Chad and Chris bring such vibrant life to their scripts; they translate their own enthusiasm so incredibly to the work, and they are Army of Darkness fans through and through. Teaming them with Mauro Vargas, an exceptional rising star (especially in the realm of hardcore horror), will ensure that longtime fans and curious newcomers are more than satisfied!” says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “Celebrating AOD’s anniversary with a 99-cent introductory-priced #0 issue is a great way for our retail partners to welcome as many customers as possible to the world of Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness with minimal risk. Put copies on your store shelves and watch as impulse buys ensue — Ash is back, and we couldn’t be happier!”

The 99-cent debut issue of Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness features a cover by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw (Wolverine & The X-Men). Five variant editions are available as retailer incentives for comic shops that support the launch issue with stocking thresholds. These variant editions include three “Sneak Peek” editions by Reilly Brown (Deadpool & Cable), series artist Mauro Vargas (Crossed: Badlands), and Pasquale Qualano (Doctor Who); a “Blood Red” Line Art cover edition by the aforementioned Nick Bradshaw; and a J. Scott Campbell “13th Anniversary Flashback” cover edition, re-presenting the very first Army of Darkness comic book cover when Dynamite launched its flagship title in 2004.

Army of Darkness is a 1992 fantasy/comedy film with strong horror elements starring Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice), the third installment in a trilogy featuring reluctant hero Ash Williams. Directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), the film saw its tough-as-nails, wise-cracking protagonist transported from the modern era to the Dark Ages in his continuing war against demonic evil. Army of Darkness generated a dedicated fan following for its premise and lead actor. Since 2004, Dynamite Entertainment has been the proud home to Army of Darkness comic books.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT WILL PUBLISH FABIAN RANGEL JR. AND JAVIER CABA’S KICKSTARTER SENSATION: BLOOD BROTHERS!

The Highly Anticipated, Supernatural Pulp Miniseries Launches in June

Dynamite Entertainment continues to bring some of the best and freshest comic book projects originating at Kickstarter to print with the news that Blood Brothers, the supernatural pulp sensation by Fabian Rangel Jr. and Javier Caba, will be serialized beginning this coming June!

Diego and Gabriel Soliz are two unusual brothers just trying to do their job in an even more unusual hometown. What’s their job? They’re detectives in a city populated by creatures from mythology and fantasy. When an Aztec skull is stolen from the museum, the Blood Brothers are assigned to the case!

Blood Brothers is a pulp-influenced supernatural tale with elements of fantasy, taking place in a world where the border between reality and mythology has been broken.

Writer Fabian Rangel, Jr. says, “Blood Brothers is the story of two Hermanos de Sangre: Diego, a hard boiled detective who can communicate with ghosts, and Gabriel, a luchador whose skin glows in the dark when monsters are about to attack. Artist Javi Caba is doing tremendous character design work in the comic, creating a feast for the eyes. I had been wanting to return to the supernatural pulp genre, and Javi loves drawing fantasy stuff, so I figured why not put them together? This series is for fans of Ray Harryhausen movies, comics like Powers, Hellboy, and Top Ten. I couldn’t be more excited to be bringing Blood Brothers to Dynamite, the home of so many awesome pulp characters. They’re the perfect home for this series. After a successful Kickstarter last year, I’m very glad we’re getting an opportunity to reach even more readers through the Direct Market.”

“Blood Brothers is the comic that I’d like to read. Since the beginning I was absorbed by the story and it was so easy to imagine this astonishing universe, full of monsters and cool characters,” says artist Javier Caba. “I love drawing all of them, because I can dip into all my pop background — old-fashioned movies, novels, and EC Comics — as well as let myself flow and create them from nothing.”

“Fabian and Javier’s supernatural detective series is another perfect addition to Dynamite’s growing line of crime comics, with an incredibly original take on the genre,” says Dynamite CEO and Publisher, Nick Barrucci. “The story is fun, and the art perfectly illustrates a colorful world of the supernatural and fantasy unlike anything else on shelves right now.”

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE NEXT CHAPTER IN JIM BUTCHER’S THE DRESDEN FILES SERIES: DOG MEN!

Dynamite Bestselling Comic and Graphic Novel Series Continues!

Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files saga continues in this original and in-continuity comic book series, featuring a never-before-told story set immediately following the bestselling novel White Night and graphic novel Down Town! The Dresden Files: Dog Men brings together the comics team of Jim Butcher, co-writer Mark Powers, and artist Diego Galindo.

Harry Dresden is a man on the edge – and that is something that can be dangerous to friend and foe alike. He’s been drafted by a senior member of the White Council of Wizards to investigate a series of murders in rural Mississippi. As always, there’s more afoot than is immediately apparent. The question is, will Harry’s state of mind keep him from seeing it, and will his actions lead him into direct conflict with the wizard who’s depending on his help?

“This is a fun project, because we get to play with a Dresden that is much closer to the character as he exists in the most recent books,” says Jim Butcher. “We get to see both Mouse and Molly in action, to show Marcone demonstrating why he’s the Baron of Chicago, and to pit Dresden against an archetypical foe of the Wardens of the White Council, a power-maddened warlock. We get to go on an adventure in Undertown, the Stygian labyrinth beneath Chicago, and in general have all the monsters, adventure, and uneasy alliances that are what the readers of The Dresden Files have come to expect from the stories. I love the way the story came out, and I look forward to creating more comic books with Dynamite!”

“What I’m most excited about with Dog Men is the opportunity to pit Harry against foes he’s never faced before, fight alongside an ally he’s never fought with before, and operate in a role that is less the master and something closer to apprentice. More than anything else, I’m jazzed to be collaborating on a story where we’ll see Harry in a very different state of mind than we’re accustomed to, as the tragedies and anguish of his recent adventures are beginning to take their toll on him,” says co-writer Mark Powers. “Working on these original stories is always a pleasure; the world Jim has built is so rich and diverse, I think we could play in it forever. There’s always some corner we can expand upon, and characters that we may have seen briefly in one or more of the novels that we can give more of a spotlight to. That’s very true of this series in particular.”

“Our ongoing partnership with author Jim Butcher on The Dresden Files has grown into one of the cornerstones of Dynamite’s publishing line. Each series has been beloved by his fiction audience and comics fans alike,” says Dynamite CEO and Publisher, Nick Barrucci. “We are certain that Dog Men will be no exception, and we are honored to continue to grow the comic book and graphic novel library of The Dresden Files!”

VAMPIRELLA ROCKS WITH THE DEMON, THE STARCHILD, THE SPACEMAN, AND THE CATMAN!

Rock ‘n Roll Legends Meet Horror Comics Icon in KISS/Vampirella, Debuting in June

Dynamite Entertainment proudly brings together two of its bestselling brands for a horror/music extravaganza in KISS/Vampirella #1, the debut issue in a new comic book series uniting the legendary rock ‘n’ roll ban with the comic industry’s iconic mistress of the macabre! Written by Chris Sebela (Captain Marvel, Alien vs. Predator) and illustrated by Annapaola Martello (Scarlet Witch, Spider-Gwen), KISS/Vampirella will be a miniseries event launching in June 2017.

Los Angeles is a strange town on the best of days, but in the summer of 1974, the City of Angels feels especially demonic. As temperatures soar and wildfires burn, all sorts of strange creatures are drawn to town… including Vampirella. While Vampi goes out and hunts down monsters all across La La Land – defending humanity from evil – she’s also killing it every night on stage as a member of an all-girl rock group – defending rock ‘n’ roll from a dying scene. Help arrives in the form of four creatures who’ve just flown into town: The Starchild, The Demon, The Spaceman, and The Catman. Away from their home turf and trying to record their new album, KISS discovers that all their favorite L.A. bands have mysteriously broken up, disappeared, sold out, or gone crazy. Led by a driver who moonlights in the occult and haunted by satanic strangers dressed in black, KISS finds themselves drawn into a web of conspiracy that threatens to kill rock ‘n’ roll itself!

Gene Simmons says, “I have been in love with Vampirella (who hasn’t?), ever since Forry Ackerman created her. I knew Forry, and he spoke fondly of Vampi, almost as if she was real. For a wide-eyed kid who grew up voraciously devouring the pages of Warren publications (including Famous Monsters of Filmland), it’s a personal thrill to witness this momentous event in our four-decades-old, proud comic book history. I can’t wait to see and read KISS/Vampirella.”

Writer Chris Sebela says, “Setting it in the 1970s, I wanted the book to feel like a drive-in movie at times, but one that has a heart to it and actual characters. Because KISS is so much larger than life, it’s no fun if they don’t have something pushing back against them. Having them in their early days, there’s more room to throw them into the action and have them be unsure what to do. That’s where the fun happens. There’s big action scenes, sleazy clubs, scary strangers dressed all in black, crazy monsters, and on-stage pyrotechnics. It’s as fun as it is dark, I hope! Meanwhile, Vampirella is seen so often as a kind of lone monster hunter that I really wanted to see Vampirella in a group situation. She has to get along with them and they have to work together to get things done. So I put her in a band. It’s an all-girl rock group with a witchy gimmick. I got to create the rest of the band members and establish their look with artist Annapaola Martello and I got to write songs, which no one ever told me how much fun that is.”

“KISS are living legends, and Vampirella is comic book royalty. We’re both honored and humbled to work so closely with Gene and Paul to bring their world-renowned alter-egos to comics alongside our horror heroine,” says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “The raging guitar chords and pyrotechnic spectacle of their stage shows are the perfect backdrop for the kind of action that our own resident monster hunter, Vampirella, is known for. Between The Demon spitting blood and Vampi thirsting for it, this comic will appeal to the shock rock fiend in all of us!”

The debut issue of KISS/Vampirella features a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers with the freedom of choice! Three art covers feature the talents of Juan Doe (cover artist of Dynamite’s bestselling KISS #1 launch), Carli Idhe (Womanthology: Space), and Roberto Castro (Lords of the Jungle), respectively. Dynamite also offers a Photo edition cover featuring KISS posing with a Vampirella model, a Cosplay edition, and a Blank Authentix edition for fans to illustrate themselves (or, for convention-goers, to commission their favorite artists to illustrate). Five limited variant editions in “Black & White” and “Virgin Art” formats are also available as retailer incentives for comic shops that support the launch issue by achieving stocking thresholds.

As America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time (and that’s in every category), KISS can easily be named one of rock’s most influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. The origins of KISS comic books date almost as far back as the inception as the band itself, having been an integral part of comics culture since their 1977 appearance in Howard the Duck #12 and 1978’s Marvel Comics Super Special: Kiss. Today, nearly 40 years later, Dynamite Entertainment is the proud home to the comic book series KISS, KISS: The Demon, and now KISS/Vampirella.

Vampirella is a raven-haired heroine who remains, even after 45 years of publication, one of the comic industry’s most well known characters, due in no small part to Dynamite Entertainment. Since Vampirella’s very healthy resurgence in 2010, Dynamite has published three volumes of a monthly series, several miniseries and one-shot specials, and crossovers with multimedia brands and comic book peers. The Vampirella franchise is a haven for writers and artists with a penchant for the macabre.

All of these exciting new titles will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ April 2017 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies with their local comic book retailers. They will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.

For more details, visit Dynamite.com

Two worlds. One connection. Embark on an extraordinary mission through space to find love and experience our planet like never before in the romantic adventure, The Space Between Us, arriving on Digital HD on May 2, 2017 and on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on May 16, 2017 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Starring Gary Oldman (The Dark Night Rises, Harry Potter), Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game, Hugo), Carla Gugino (Night At The Museum, “Wayward Pines”), Britt Robertson (A Dog’s Purpose, Tomorrowland), BD Wong (Jurassic World, “Law & Order: SVU”) and Janet Montgomery (“This Is Us”, Black Swan), The Space Between Us takes viewers on an out-of-this-world journey that reveals all the incredible beauty of the Earth and proves love is a universal language. From STXfilms (The Edge of Seventeen, Bad Moms), The Space Between Us on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD is filled with special bonus features including a never-before-seen alternate ending and deleted scenes!

Sixteen-year-old Gardner Elliot (Butterfield) is the first human born on Mars, living his whole life with a team of scientists on the red planet.  He’s always longed to see Earth to find the father he’s never known and to meet a beautiful street smart girl named Tulsa (Robertson) he’s encountered friends with online.  But when his chance finally comes, doctors discover his heart can’t withstand the Earth’s atmosphere.  Eager to find his father, Gardner and Tulsa escape on a cross-country race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be and where he belongs in the universe.  See the heartfelt and inspiring romantic adventure about how far one person can go for love.

BLU-RAY, DVD AND DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES:

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• “Love” Featurette  – An inside look, with the cast and filmmakers, at the themes of the film, highlighting the one theme that connects us all – Love.
• Feature Commentary with Director Peter Chelsom – Available only on Blu-Ray and DVD.

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#TheSpaceBetweenUs

The 19th annual Boston Underground Film Festival returns to Harvard Square to kick off New England’s Spring festival season, bringing with it a smorgasbord of phantasmagoria, dark comedy, thrillers, killers, and chillers to the Brattle Theatre and Harvard Film Archive from March 22nd through the 26th. This year’s schedule boasts an eclectic selection of weird, wonderful programming packed with flavors for cineastes of all tastes!

As usual, we’ll have: Our kid-friendly annual Saturday Morning Cartoons program with cereal smorgasbord, programmed by renowned curator, author, and Monster Fest Festival Director Kier-La Janisse; a veritable bounty of shorts programming celebrating fantastic music videos, animation, transgressive horror; and more! So. Much. More!

FEATURE FILMS SCREENING

BITCH – East Coast Premiere
Marianna Palka | USA | 2017Caged in the suburbs of our discontent, a woman (Marianna Palka) snaps and enters a fugue state, consumed by the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, stay-at-work husband (Jason Ritter) must grudgingly assume the role of family caretaker, forcing him to engage with his four children and sister-in-law (Jaime King) as they attempt to strengthen their familial unit and entice mom back to reality. Marianna Palka writes, directs, and stars in her bitingly funny and profound fourth feature.

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DAVE MADE A MAZE – East Coast Premiere
Bill Watterson | USA | 2017
Dave (Nick Thune) is an artist who has yet to complete anything of significance in his short career; out of frustration, he builds an elaborate box fort in his living room. When his girlfriend and friends (including Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Busch, and Meera Rohit Kumbhani) enter against his protests, he must save them all from a series of fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and creatures of his own creation. Actor Bill Watterson writes and directs his hilarious and idiosyncratic first feature.

HOUNDS OF LOVE – East Coast Premiere
Ben Young | Australia | 2016
In Ben Young’s tense, chilling feature debut, 17-year-old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple and held prisoner in their home. As she observes the volatile dynamic between her captors, she soon realizes the key to survival lies in driving a wedge between them.

PREVENGE – East Coast Premiere
Alice Lowe | UK | 2016
In her directorial debut, Alice Lowe (Sightseers, Hot Fuzz, Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place) writes, directs and stars in a pitch black comedic tale of vengeance about seven-months-pregnant Widow Ruth and the unborn serial killer that compels her on her homicidal rampage.

SAINT BERNARD – North American Premiere
Gabe Bartalos | USA/France | 2013
Prolific creature designer Gabe Bartalos (Brain Damage, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, Gremlins 2, and the Leprechaun series) crafts a phantasmagoric vision of a classical music conductor descending into insanity with his sophomore feature. Seemingly vanished from a short-lived run on the festival circuit in 2014, BUFF is proud to give this must-see nightmare, and the visionary filmmaker who created it, a proper North American premiere.

68 KILL – East Coast Premiere
Trent Haaga | USA | 2017
Trent Haaga (writer of Deadgirl, Cheap Thrills) returns to the director’s chair following 2011’s Chop with a punk-rock after hours thriller about femininity, masculinity and the theft of $68,000. When Liza (AnnaLynne McCord) asks her boyfriend Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler) to help her rob her wealthy sugar daddy, he can’t say no. Once they step into the man’s home, Chip & Liza embark on a breakneck roadtrip to hell. Adapted from Bryan Smith’s 2013, no-holds-barred crime novel of the same name.

THE VOID – New England Premiere
Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski | Canada | 2016
ASTRON-6’s Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski return with a Carpenteresque saga of brutal, cosmic dread, packed with creatures straight out of hell. In the middle of a routine patrol, officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road in the middle of the night. When he rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital, he finds that patients and personnel are transforming into something… inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter must lead the other survivors into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to save their lives and end the nightmare before it’s too late.

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TRINITY – Boston Premiere
Skip Shea | USA | 2016
Award-winning Massachusetts-based filmmaker, writer, artist and actor Skip Shea brings to life a deeply personal and disturbing first feature based on the true story about a moment in the life of a clergy abuse survivor. While at a coffee shop, a man accidentally bumps into the priest who abused him when he was a child, triggering a surreal, PTSD-induced dissociative moment that sends him on a twisted journey through his past.

A DARK SONG – East Coast Premiere
Liam Gavin | Ireland | 2016
A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them what they want.

A LIFE IN WAVES – East Coast Premiere
Brett Whitcomb | USA | 2017
This incredible documentary explores the even more incredible life and innovations of composer and electronic music pioneer, Suzanne Ciani. Join us for a Q&A with Suzanne & the filmmakers following the screening!

FRAUD – New England Premiere
Dean Fleischer-Camp | USA | 2016
A struggling family commits fraud in this contentious docu-ficto hybrid.

HIDDEN RESERVES – East Coast Premiere
Valentin Hitz | Austria/Germany/Switzerland | 2016
Where death with dignity comes at a premium, an insurance salesman turned narc must reevaluate his ideology when he falls for the rebel he’s assigned to entrap.

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MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND – East Coast Premiere
Ana Asensio | USA | 2017
A chilling portrait of an undocumented young woman’s struggle for survival as she finds redemption from a tortured past in a dangerous game.

NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVE – East Coast Premiere
Jerzy Rose | USA | 2017
A group of awful idiots fail at throwing a party over and over.

SECRET SCREENING – Secret Premiere
Secret Director | Secret Country | Secret Year
One of the best genre films coming out this year.

SHE’S ALLERGIC TO CATS – New England Premiere
Michael Reich | USA | 2016
A dog groomer in Hollywood aspires to be more than a dog groomer in Hollywood.

SOUTHLAND TALES – Anniversary Screening
Richard Kelly | USA | 2006
During a three day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project, and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

Individual screening ticket prices vary and will be available online and at the Brattle Theatre box office on the day of screening. Festival passes, are available for $180 at www.bostonunderground.org/tickets.

For more information, including short film programming, visit bostonunderground.org

Our friends at SuperHeroStuff.com are not only one of the industry’s oldest superhero specialty shops, but also one of the best, with a huge selection of t-shirts, Pops!, hats, hoodies, underwear, socks, action figures, stickers, buttons, belts wallets, cardboard stand-ups, jewelry and much more including large selections for women and children.

Here are some of the latest items I checked out:

Wolverine Logan Funko Pop Bobble Head

This isn’t Hugh Jackman’s Logan, but rather the definitive interpretation of the older Wolverine as originally designed by John Byrne and Terry Austin as seen in the classic storyline, Days of Future Past from way back in The Uncanny X-Men #141 and #142.  Ducking mutant gangs and providing intel for the surviving X-Men (Magneto, Storm, Colossus, Rachel Summers, Franklin Richards and Kate Pryde), Logan is still the very best he is at what he does.

And what he does best isn’t very nice.

Batman The Animated Series Funko Pop Vinyl Figures

Funko has released their Pop! Vinyl interpretations of the classic Batman: The Animated Series, and they don’t disappoint.  Based on the designs by Bruce Timm, these Pops! not only are an instant jolt of nostalgia, but also feature, in my opinion, the best sculpt yet for The Joker.

Included in this first wave:

• Batman: A fantastic take on the character, capturing the Animated Series aesthetic and also a fantastic cape sculpt.

• Robin: Where would the Caped Crusader be without his Boy Wonder?

• Batgirl: Another solid sculpt, rounding out the core Bat Family.

• The Joker: My favorite Joker sculpt to date.  Captures both Timm’s design, but also the classic comic book incarnation of the Clown Prince of Crime.

• Harley Quinn: For a character that made her first appearance on B:TAS, this incarnation of the character is simply, a must have.

• Poison Ivy: She might not be as iconic as the other releases, but her character was serviced immensely by both The Animated Series, and also her character’s friendship/relationship with Harley.

This long overdue tribute to the classic series is a must have for any Bat-fan.

Batman DC Heroes Classic Funko Pop Vinyl Figure

This amazing Pop! captures the modern take on Batman, wearing a black armor suit as first depicted in Tim Burton’s 1989 film.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a sculpt on Batman Michael Keaton (no pursed lips and a strong chin), but rather represents a classic take on one of the most beloved characters in pop culture.

 Batman DC Heroes Earth 1 Funko Pop Vinyl Figure

Based on the Dark Knight as depicted in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Batman: Earth 1 graphic novel series.  This costume also inspired the look of Ben Affleck’s Batman as seen as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  Poised to jump into battle, this Pop! is ready to protect your shelf or desk from Gotham City’s criminal underworld.