INTRODUCING PRICASSO: The Painter That Uses His...Well, Trouser Snake, To Paint Portraits
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The Symbolism and Biology of The Vampires of TWILIGHT
Yeah, I’m not a Twilight fan.
Shocker, I know.
But I understand it, aside from “Coldly Calculated to appeal to your Shrieking Demographic” at least. Mostly because I know I like some things that other people don’t. I like some of the worst movies ever made, and acknowledge that.
It’d be nice if the fans knew what they were getting into, which is part of the problem.
Before people knew what it was simply by hearing people complain about it, Twilight had some of its fans ballyhoo it as an ‘epic’ battle between vampires and werewolves.
This didn’t stop Underworld or Van Helsing from having its many problems, but the idea is cool enough that idea that it can draw people in.
They should have been more honest, and told those people what it really was: “Chaste Mormon Pornography.” That’s really the only way I’ve been able to analyze these films. Yes, the films. I couldn’t make it through them without Rifftrax, mind you, but I watched as much of them as my brain could tolerate (or allow before something shiny caught my eye).
I tried to read the books, but each time I picked one up, it burst into flames. Same thing happens with Bibles, now that I think on it. . .
Symbolism
A lot of talk has gone around about how the whole thing is a metaphor for the Mormon church and entrance into and so on. It’s all been gone over at length by many an author, blogger and I don’t have the background to go into that.
But no one looks into Vamprism as a whole—what does that mean in this universe.
From what I’ve seen, vampires as a whole don’t represent much. It’s really more the groups they are associated with. In the majority of cases, though, Vampirism is more closely associated with perfection. The flowery descriptions Edward gets and his passing resemblance to the Mormon founder Joseph Smith ties it into the Mormon concept of Angels.
Short version: They’re sparklingly white.
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This is apparently happens to all vampires in the “Saga”, regardless of race (though some melanin retention does occur, it generally turns you into a marble statue). All descriptions of Mormon angels emphasize this point above all others—that and their glowing nesss.
And now the sparkling makes sense.
But there’s a larger, cultural symbolism going on that I think needs addressing first. I’m about to defend Stephanie Meyers. She can be blamed for a lot of course, but she didn’t destroy vampires.
Vampires have been on a downward spiral since they first hit the printed media with Varney the Vampire (1847). At the start of their un-life Vampires were simply Plague and a monster spawned from it. They were animate corpses or spirits who rose from the grave to feed on the living, sucking their vitality and essence from their breath and blood.
Then Varney, Dracula and Carmilla came along and mixed that death symbol with sexuality.
Today, Dracula would be considered a trashy romance novel. Its plot can be summed up in such terms to: “A wealthy Romanian lothario goes to England and starts hitting on all the women. The guys there don’t like it so put an end to it.”
Suddenly loses its mystique, doesn’t it.
As time went on, the trend went on. From Bela Lugosi to Barnabas Collins to Anne Rice, Vampires became more sympathetic, less about disease and death and more and more about sex.
Which brings us to Twilight: it is not an aberration, but a natural result of the evolution the monster has gone through since its earliest appearances in print.
If Stephanie Meyers did any research into vampirism, it’d be a fascinating study.
But she didn’t. And she made Golem-Angel-Fairies, borrowed a single barely relevant aspect from Anne Rice and called the assemblage ‘vampires.’
Biology
As near as I can figure it, Vampires are silicone based life forms, like the Horta from the original Star Trek.
Though they feed on blood, as they age, the need to do so becomes less. How they maintain energy is never explained other than being a further sign of them being ‘Perfect’.
That young vampires are stronger than older ones is a quirk that fits the silicone based life form. Being of crystalline structure (easily evidenced in the films where one young vampire shatters the head of another—as well as their sparkly surfaces being reminiscent off such formations being a dead giveaway), it is likely that they are simply growing brittle with age.
This is apparently further supported by their lack of proper regenerative processes. Cuts and the like hurt them and leave marks that don’t quite heal. However, they get to re-attach limbs that are torn off, so that’s just contradictory. Perhaps there is a repair process similar to crystal growth going on, but the healing has no cosmetic effect and simply stitches them together.
Their stone construction also explains why many Twilight Fans claim near absolute invulnerability for these creatures as they are effectively ‘made of granite’
Granite laced with Napalm, actually.
Their blood and bodily fluids have been replaced with “Venom”—an ill described substance that fills in for biological substances and seems to be powered directly by the needs of the plot in many instances. A sad aspect, indeed. It also makes me wonder about their digestive processes even more. Maybe Everybody Poops except vampires. It would certainly fit with the perfection metaphor.
Anyway, this substance is also extremely flammable, being their only real weakness: fire and dismemberment to access this super flammable liquid that is also corrosive and can turn people into vampires and stuff. We’re told this because at the end of the first book, Edward has to suck the venom from Bella to stop her from turning.
Yes. Have the vampire, whose mouth is full of the poison in question, suck the poison from her veins—a technique that is antiquated by almost half a decade by this point.
But then again, these are barely vampires—they’re more like Super Heroes. They have superhuman strength in the low ton-range, superhuman speed in the range of about a hundred miles an hour and I’ve already gone over their durability. They scale about as well as most or Marvel’s vampires, but are more brittle than squishy.
And that’s part of the reason they are so disliked (that and being overplayed), they fit more in line with a Super Hero story than your average vampire story. That the Twilight vampires all get a random super-power (usually something psychic or manipulative of others) in addition to the standard vampire package just exacerbates it all. Though, technically Anne Rice can be blamed for that addition.
There’s no genetic reason for that, so it would largely fall to the mystical. There is some genetic component, as the monstrous creature the main character’s spawn has a combination of their abilities, but given the way vampires create more of their kind normally, this would otherwise not be apparent.
Possibly the only ‘good’ thing to come out of that character’s existence.
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J-Pop Summit Festival Goes Into Cyberpop Overload!
NEW PEOPLE ANNOUNCES DATES FOR THE 2012 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
One-Of-A-Kind Weekend-Long Festival Celebrates “Cyberpop Overload!” And Showcases The Best In Modern Japanese Film, Anime, Fashion, Music, Art, Retail Design And Popular Culture This AugustNEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, has announced the dates for its 2012 J-Pop Summit Festival. The Festival, now in its fourth year, will be held across San Francisco’s Japantown in association with the Japantown Merchant Association on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th.The theme for 2012 will be “Cyberpop Overload!,” and the all-day, weekend-long event will offer many popular attractions that have made the J-Pop Summit Festival a fun annual gathering for fashion, film, anime, video game, technology and music fans as well as pop culture enthusiasts, Bay Area residents, and tourists visiting the city. More than 55,000 people attended last year’s J-Pop Summit Festival, according to the SFPD, and this year’s Festival is expected to attract even more attendees.Information about the festival is available at J-pop.com and will feature regular updates. Additional official news alerts over the coming months will detail specific events, attractions, event partners and sponsors as well as Guest of Honor appearances.Among this year’s most highly anticipated highlights, NEW PEOPLE is partnering with Japan’s Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) to present a very special event featuring the EVANGELION series in the U.S. for the first time ever! More information on this attraction will be announced in coming months.A variety of other pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, theatrical film premieres, live art performances, celebrity appearances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands are planned for the 2012 J-Pop Summit both inside the NEW PEOPLE complex, and also outdoors at the adjacent Peace Plaza. Innovative artists from Japan will join a variety of merchants and food vendors from the Bay Area to offer an array of pop-inspired products and delicacies for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street, the main Japantown thoroughfare.“The J-Pop Summit Festival has become an important part of the cultural fabric of San Francisco and is a unique celebration of Japanese pop culture in all its colorful forms,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the President/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. and Chairman of the J-Pop Summit Festival Committee. “We’re working closely with a variety of sponsors, partners and the City of San Francisco to prepare a very exciting roster of talent and attractions that will make this year’s Festival the biggest one yet! We look forward to announcing these in coming months.”NEW PEOPLE opened in 2009 and has become a unique must-see attraction of San Francisco’s cultural landscape. The 20,000 square foot contemporary venue features the latest examples Japanese popular culture expressed though film, art, fashion, and a variety of specialty boutiques and ongoing monthly events. NEW PEOPLE is located at 1746 Post Street in the city’s Japantown.About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (www.newpeopleworld.com) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.
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WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL?
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Bill Cosby Is Coming At You With Music And Fun As FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS: THE COMPLETE SERIES Comes To DVD!
HEY HEY HEY!
FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS™: THE COMPLETE SERIES 16-DVD SET TO BE RELEASED BYSHOUT! FACTORY THIS SUMMERSeries Contains All 110 Episodes of the Classic Cartoon Featuring Bill CosbyHey Hey Hey! Shout! Factory today announced that Fat Albert and the Cosby kids™: The Complete Series is coming to DVD on July 31, 2012! This 16-DVD box set features nearly 40 hours of content, including all 110 episodes of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids (36 episodes), The New Fat Albert Show (24 episodes) and The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids (50 episodes), of which seasons 2 - 4 have never before been released on DVD before. Special features include commentary and a documentary on the history of Fat Albert by Bill Cosby and a 20-page book featuring an essay by Dr. Gordon Berry, the show’s educational advisor.The Fat Albert and the Cosby kids programs were created, produced and hosted by legendary comedian Bill Cosby, who also voiced several of the characters. The show was a staple of Saturday mornings on CBS, premiering in 1972 and running until 1985. The series was based on Cosby's childhood memories and friendships, focusing on the lovable Albert Jackson and his signature salutation "Hey! Hey! Hey!" Fat Albert and his friends had positive attitudes and were eager to learn, all in spite of their apparent poor economic conditions. Fat Albert and the Cosby kids had a powerful impact on children across the country, entertaining millions of kids and families alike while always fostering lessons in life, which were reinforced by Cosby's live-action hosting segments. The show has a special place in television history, and today Bill Cosby, Fat Albert, Rudy, Weird Harold, Mushmouth, Dumb Donald, Russell and the Brown Hornet remain beloved by fans all over the world.Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: The Complete SeriesSpecial Features:· Commentary By Bill Cosby· Documentary On The History Of Fat Albert Featuring Bill Cosby· Booklet Containing Essay By Dr. Gordon Berry, The Show’s Educational Advisor
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.comAbout Fat Albert®
Comin’ at you with music and fun! One of America’s longest running Saturday Morning TV cartoons, Fat Albert and the Cosby kids™ follows the adventures of a group of resourceful and unpredictable city kids growing up in the 1970s. The series features daily life lessons as they’re learned by Fat Albert and his friends, Weird Harold, Rudy, Dumb Donald, Russell, Bucky and Mushmouth. Renowned comedian Bill Cosby created these unforgettable characters based on his own childhood experiences. And if you’re not careful, you may learn something before it’s done!
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A TALE OF TWO CAPTAINS
Almost immediately, the disaster was compared the Titanic, and Captain Shettino was compared (highly unfavorably) with Captain Smith.
Perhaps it’s inevitable, especially in the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s sinking.
But is that comparison fair?
Let’s go to the table, and see just how Captain Shettino compares with his more famous predecessor.
Looking at this table, there really isn’t that much that separates the two captains.Name Edward Smith Francesco SchettinoAge 62 52Ship RMS Titanic MS Costa ConcordiaEmployer White Star Line Costa CruisesDate of Sinking April 14, 1912 January 13, 2012Dumb Mistake Going full speed ahead Steering his ship too close tothrough an ice field in the shore in order to impressspite of repeated warnings passengersfrom other shipsDumb Reason J. Bruce Ismay (head of Managers of Costa CruisesWhite Star Line) allegedly allegedly told him totold him toFate Went down with the ship Exited ship in the middle of rescueoperationsPopular Verdict Hero Coward
Both did something incredibly dumb. Both have excuses that their bosses are alleged to have told them to disregard safety precautions. Both disasters resulted in tragic loss of life.
The difference?
Captain Smith stayed at his post until all the lifeboats were off, staying with his ship until the bitter end, while Captain Schettino left in the middle of rescue operations (he would later assert that he simply fell into a lifeboat), and was infamously ordered by the Italian Coast Guard to “Get on board for ____’s sake!”.
The moral for all of you aspiring captains out there is simple: if your ship starts sinking, wait until the passengers have been rescued before getting into your lifeboat.
Your Obedient Servant,
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TWO-AND-A-HALF MINUTES Of Cats Mashed-Up With Famous Movie Scenes...Don't Worry, It'll Be Over Before You Know It
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VIZ To Oversee BESERK Trilogy!
VIZ MEDIA BECOMES MASTER LICENSOR FOR
BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC
FEATURE FILM TRILOGY
BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC
FEATURE FILM TRILOGY
Arms and Armor Action Clash In Three Visceral Anime Films About A Young Medieval Mercenary
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has acquired the North American theatrical, TV, home entertainment, digital and merchandising rights for the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC animated movie trilogy. The company made the licensing announcement during its panel held at Sakura Con 2012 this past weekend.
BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy was produced in Japan by Studio 4ºC and is based on the bestselling medieval dark fantasy manga (graphic novel) series created by Kentaro Miura. VIZ Media plans to release the first film of the trilogy, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING, in the Fall of 2012.
Combining a foreboding medieval European-insired setting with fantasy and exquisitely detailed swordsmanship, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING follows lone mercenary Guts as he travels the land where a hundred-year-old war is taking place. His ferocity and ability to take down enemies attracts the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group “The Band of the Hawk,” and Guts is recruited to the unit. Thanks to their continued victories on the battlefield, the bond between Guts and Griffith deepens, but despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith’s dream. Unknown to Guts, this unyielding dream is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both.
“Thrilling action and a tense plot are at the center of these gripping films that depict how the young mercenary protagonist, Guts, becomes a legendary swordsman,” says Lyn Johnson, Senior Animation Marketing Manager. “We’re very excited to add these films to the VIZ Media anime library. BERSERK combines a foreboding medieval European-inspired setting with fantasy and horror elements to make for an amazing adventure that no action fan will want to miss, and we look forward to announcing more information on the release of the first film in the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC trilogy very soon!”
The BERSERK manga series, by Kentaro Miura, debuted in Japan in 1989 and quickly drew a devoted following, going on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. The series, still ongoing in Japan, has been published in North America and the UK, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Latin America. The BERSERK manga has also inspired a popular anime television series and has spawned a variety of related video games, collectable figures and toys, and music soundtracks, as well as the current BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy.
For more information on the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy, please visit the official Facebook page.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
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STAN LEE Talks; Now Listen
On Tune April 27th at 8pm ET on EPIX and EpixHD.com, With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story premieres.
In this clip, Stan Lee talks about the importance of bringing diversity to the comic book world and using real world issues in his writing.
After the jump check out a clip of Stan Lee talking about almost quitting the comic book business in the '60s and how his wife convinced him to give it another shot.
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DON'T STOP BELIEVING AS SUNG BY THE MOVIES
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SAFE HOUSE Comes To Your Home June 5th
ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNER DENZEL WASHINGTON AND RYAN REYNOLDSSTAR IN THE YEAR’S MOST EXPLOSIVE ACTION BLOCKBUSTERSAFE HOUSEAVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK WITH ULTRAVIOLET™ AND DIGITAL COPY AS WELL AS DVD & ON DEMANDON JUNE 5, 2012
“AN ADRENALINE RUSH FROM START TO FINISH.” -- GREGG KATZMAN, UGO.COM
A rogue CIA operative is targeted for assassination and an idealistic rookie agent must prove himself by keeping them both alive in the exhilarating and explosive action-thriller Safe House, available June 5, 2012 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™ and Digital Copy and DVD as well as On Demand from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Two-time Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington (Training Day, Unstoppable) and Ryan Reynolds (The Change-Up, Green Lantern) star as unlikely allies up against an unknown enemy in an adrenaline-pumping game of cat and mouse.
Tobin Frost (Washington), one of the CIA’s most dangerous traitors, resurfaces in South Africa after eluding capture for almost a decade. During his interrogation, the safe house is attacked by brutal mercenaries forcing rookie agent, Matt Weston (Reynolds) to take the infamous Frost on the run. As the masterful manipulator toys with his reluctant protégé, shaking the young operative’s morality and idealism, the unlikely allies must fight to stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them both dead. Packed with intense action and thrilling suspense, Safe House takes you on a deadly ride through a covert world where no one and no place is ever safe.
Washington and Reynolds are joined by an impressive roster of actors including Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, The Guard), Academy Award®-nominee Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Ruben Blades (All the Pretty Horses, Once Upon a Time in Mexico), Nora Arnezeder (Paris 36, The Words) and Robert Patrick (Flags of Our Fathers, Terminator 2: Judgment Day).
The Safe House Blu-ray™ Combo Pack delivers the film in perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound and features extensive bonus content including a “making of” featurette, interviews with cast and crew, and exclusive looks behind the scenes of the stylish and intense spy thriller.
The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet™, a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film – so consumers can truly enjoy the movie anytime, anywhere, on the device of their choice! UltraViolet™ is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to instantly stream and download to computers, tablets and smart phones. In addition, consumers can redeem a Digital Copy of the film from a variety of retail partners, who offer many viewing options including iTunes®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod™ touch, Android, connected televisions, Blu-ray™ player apps and much more!
BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY™ & DVD:
- Making Safe House—This featurette is filled with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage revealing how director Daniel Espinosa, stars Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the team came together to bring this thrilling story to life.
- Hand-To-Hand Action— Renowned fight choreographer Olivier Schneider (Taken) puts the actors through the intense training and rehearsal required to create the film’s powerful scenes of deadly hand-to-hand combat. Schneider, along with Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Espinosa, explain how the high-intensity, character-based approach to the action informed the final film and share the brilliant raw versions of the scenes (with a special direct-to-camera set-up by Schneider).
- Building the Rooftop Chase—Filmed in hardscrabble Langa, Cape Town’s oldest township, this riveting stunt sequence required a massive amount of precision, a little bit of politics and a lot of planning. Featuring cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a first-person perspective of Denzel Washington’s rooftop run, this piece showcases the intense preparation and focus necessary to pull off one of Safe House’s most pivotal and dangerous sequences.
- Inside The CIA—Technical advisor Luis Falcon III, a 30-year CIA veteran who has gone undercover in some of the hottest zones in the world, talks about working with the cast and collaborating with the director. He leads audiences on a walk and talk through the CIA offices and explains just how closely this film matches up to reality.
BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVELY ON BLU-RAY™:
U-Control:
- Behind The Action—Legendary stunt coordinator Greg Powell, fight choreographer Olivier Schneider and tactical advisor Dan Hirst lead viewers through key action sequences involving dangerous driving stunts, heavy gun play and frenetic fight choreography.
- Safe Harbor: Cape Town—A popular tourist destination, Cape Town is rapidly becoming one of the most-photographed cities in cinema. The creators of Safe House reveal the reasons they set this intense action thriller in Africa’s multicultural hub.
- Shooting the Safe House Attack—Every detail behind the creation of the film’s epic initial attack is revealed in a featurette that includes interviews with Academy Award-winning production designer Brigitte Broch, plus the film’s cast and crew. From the initial rehearsals to the final takes, director Daniel Espinosa and his spectacular stunt team combined artistry with tactical perfection for a chillingly realistic sequence.
- UltraViolet™: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, store them in the cloud, and download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones. Currently available in the United States only.
- Digital Copy: Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie from a choice of retail partners to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.
- Picture-in-Picture – featuring pre-visualization and storyboard comparisons of some the film’s most exciting scenes.
- pocket BLU™ App: The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad®, Android™ tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.
- Journey Inside The Safe House: This exclusive Second Screen feature will highlight an in-depth walk and talk through the film’s safe house location with the production designer and CIA technical advisor as they discuss the creation and authenticity of the set.
- Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
- Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
- Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
- Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
- Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
- BD-LIVE™ – Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more!
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Make Your Own Movie Marathon
I'm not even a Joss Whedon fan, but I know he's gonna bring it. While the X-Men films have some charm (well, not X3), we've never really seen a multi-superhero mega-spectacle such as what the Avengers trailers promise.
Marvel Studios literally made us wait years for this movie.
Marvel executed a ballsy strategy of producing comic book movies like the comics themselves, with separate stories that connect to a big arc culminating in a spectacular crossover. This shouldn't have worked, but a combination of the right lead actor, right director, right script and dazzling effects made the near-perfect Iron Man be the launchpad.
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In select cities across the country, Marvel will celebrate its triumph by running a marathon of its movies: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and newbie The Avengers.
Looks pretty tempting, right?
While I don't think I'll really travel to Boston or New York and catch all six movies, it did get me thinking about my geek movie nights.
What kind of movie marathons would I like to put together?
Walk with me.
Black movie marathon: The Wiz, Shaft, Friday, Juice, Roots
TV sketch comedy blerds Key & Peele, in one offhanded joke about people freaking out about movies you haven't seen, created a canon of black films that, if blackness were a religion, would be on the altar somewhere. It's like, if you haven't seen these movies, you have missed out on being black somehow.
I've lost count of how much these movies would come up whenever I was around three or more brothers and sisters born in the '70s or '80s. Couldn't go without talking about 'em.
Roots rules them all.
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Even today, it packs a wallop, and it's easy to see how this film joined the national conversation on race. America still doesn't talk much about slavery, its original sin. Too painful. I first saw Roots as a kid, and I remember my mother couldn't watch it more than once when it first aired.
Yet it's also bizarre how the whipping scene, where Kunta Kinte is forced to accept his slave name of Toby, later was played for laughs by black comedians over and over. I can't even begin to explain that one, but Chappelle's Show took it 21st-century in his Roots bloopers sketch, where he pranks the white actor whipping him by breaking character and pretending to be angry. The actor goes from pretend-anger in the scene to real-fright when Chappelle steps off the riser, a shield on his back, the illusion broken.
Shaft was so cool that even the watered-down remake starring Mace Windu, Batman and Tara Gregson got some heavy play.
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The Wiz has a lot going for it: Childhood nostalgia and a love of Michael Jackson go a long way toward papering over how not-good the film is. And the sheer beauty of the song “Home” continues to captivate. Diana Ross sang it beautifully, Stephanie Mills elevated it to sultry gospel, and a 22-year-old Whitney Houston released her lungs on the American TV public in 1985 with her rendition.
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Juice stuck with my generation because it was kids – kids who looked like us – caught up in the inner-city drug trade nightmare that we knew was close. Some of us didn't escape it. And, like The Wiz, it carries on the long tradition of black musicians/entertainers being cast in movies rather than straight-up actors.
In select cities across the country, Marvel will celebrate its triumph by running a marathon of its movies: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and newbie The Avengers.
Looks pretty tempting, right?
While I don't think I'll really travel to Boston or New York and catch all six movies, it did get me thinking about my geek movie nights.
What kind of movie marathons would I like to put together?
Walk with me.
Black movie marathon: The Wiz, Shaft, Friday, Juice, Roots
TV sketch comedy blerds Key & Peele, in one offhanded joke about people freaking out about movies you haven't seen, created a canon of black films that, if blackness were a religion, would be on the altar somewhere. It's like, if you haven't seen these movies, you have missed out on being black somehow.
I've lost count of how much these movies would come up whenever I was around three or more brothers and sisters born in the '70s or '80s. Couldn't go without talking about 'em.
Roots rules them all.
Even today, it packs a wallop, and it's easy to see how this film joined the national conversation on race. America still doesn't talk much about slavery, its original sin. Too painful. I first saw Roots as a kid, and I remember my mother couldn't watch it more than once when it first aired.
Yet it's also bizarre how the whipping scene, where Kunta Kinte is forced to accept his slave name of Toby, later was played for laughs by black comedians over and over. I can't even begin to explain that one, but Chappelle's Show took it 21st-century in his Roots bloopers sketch, where he pranks the white actor whipping him by breaking character and pretending to be angry. The actor goes from pretend-anger in the scene to real-fright when Chappelle steps off the riser, a shield on his back, the illusion broken.
Shaft was so cool that even the watered-down remake starring Mace Windu, Batman and Tara Gregson got some heavy play.
The Wiz has a lot going for it: Childhood nostalgia and a love of Michael Jackson go a long way toward papering over how not-good the film is. And the sheer beauty of the song “Home” continues to captivate. Diana Ross sang it beautifully, Stephanie Mills elevated it to sultry gospel, and a 22-year-old Whitney Houston released her lungs on the American TV public in 1985 with her rendition.
Juice stuck with my generation because it was kids – kids who looked like us – caught up in the inner-city drug trade nightmare that we knew was close. Some of us didn't escape it. And, like The Wiz, it carries on the long tradition of black musicians/entertainers being cast in movies rather than straight-up actors.
You even can add Juice to a '90s ghetto drama marathon with Menace II Society, Fresh, New Jack City and Boyz N The Hood. Probably should end with New Jack City because the realism is blended with a pulp quality that, after the Hughes Brothers and John Singleton's stark realism, you'll desperately need.
Sci-fi flops marathon: The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Battlefield Earth, The Land of the Lost, Green Lantern, John Carter
Now this one most closely resembles a marathon, as a grueling, boundary-exploding endurance test what will leave you dehydrated with shit running down your legs. Sure, you haughty fools of the MST3K generation, think that you'll be amused by ragging on these hapless creations. But they will crush you.
Sci-fi flops marathon: The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Battlefield Earth, The Land of the Lost, Green Lantern, John Carter
Now this one most closely resembles a marathon, as a grueling, boundary-exploding endurance test what will leave you dehydrated with shit running down your legs. Sure, you haughty fools of the MST3K generation, think that you'll be amused by ragging on these hapless creations. But they will crush you.
Watch Eddie Murphy's soul die on camera in a comedy movie that's never funny. Battlefield Earth at least gives you John Travolta in dreadlocks and platform boots. But the movie warps your mind with its awfulness so much that it infamously made Jon Stewart crazy for a week in July 2001 on The Daily Show when HBO showed the movie endlessly. Among his cracks at the film He calls it "a cross between Star Wars and the smell of ass."
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Yes, those movies are bad.
But then the marathon gives you a break with Land of the Lost, which at least is stupidly-bad, has hottie Anna Friel, Danny McBride doing his thing, and lots of Will Ferrell screaming. Unless you are tired of Will Ferrell screaming. But Green Lantern and John Carter will crush you under the weight of their wasted potential, with non-charismatic stars, elaborate production designs, watered-down emotional heft and voiceover prologues. Green Lantern lacked the soul and gravity of Geoff Johns' reinvention, and became an overproduced sigh.
John Carter isn't that bad; unlike Lantern, you can see every cent that went on screen.
But WALL-E honcho Andrew Stanton had a much harder time making his first live-action film than his Pixar buddy Brad Bird did with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Stanton also went too fanboy on the movie, thinking that everyone knew who the hell John Carter was. Parts of Carter worked great, I thought, plus it did give us a hot Dejah Thoris. But any compliment of the movie shouldn't be that it's an improved take on the '80s Flash Gordon movie.
Dystopian nightmare action marathon: Escape from New York, The Warriors, Rollerball, Death Race 2000, The Road Warrior
All these movies have that us-against-the-world suspense level necessary to drive the plot.
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With Death Race and Road Warrior, you shouldn't ever go wrong with fast cars on film, gruesome death and shit blowing up. Add a menacing, talented but crazy lead actor to the mix such as James Caan or Mel Gibson (he was “Hollywood crazy” back then, not the actual, racist crazy we now know), and you've really got something.
The best part of Warriors is the creativity of the gangs, plus that killer catchphrase. But Escape beats Warriors because of Snake Plissken. He follows a long tradition of criminal antiheroes, and many have walked in Plissken's footsteps. Vin Diesel and Jason Statham, among others, owe their careers to Kurt Russell's bad-assery. Remember that when you see that new movie Lockout, with Guy Pearce. The TV ads cite a review calling it “Die Hard mixed with Blade Runner,” but real geeks know it's Escape From New York In Space.
Barry Levinson Is Overrated Marathon: Rain Man, Man of the Year, Envy, Toys, The Band That Wouldn't Die
He's so respected as a producer and director, but let's face it, Levinson's overrated.
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But it's because when he's good, he's so so good. So this marathon will give you the roller-coaster experience of being a Barry Levinson fan. Rain Man? Excellent. Man of the Year? Robin Williams being unfunny, which happens a lot now.
Then you get Envy, with funny-but-poisonous annoyances Ben Stiller and Jack Black together, fighting over something called the Vapoorizer. (Even worse, the promotional website is still running.) Let's throw Toys in there; not great, but looks very cool and I have a soft spot for Joan Cusack's doofy Alsatia character.
But we need a real high note to remind you of Levinson's goodness, so we end with his documentary The Band That Wouldn't Die, about the Baltimore Colts marching band, who soldier on in heartbroken dedication to honor the memory of a team whose owner packed up and left for Indianapolis in the middle of the night. Levinson, a man from Balmer, really makes the pain hang on the screen, and makes not-moving on look so good.
Bunch of folks walk into a trap of a killer alien marathon: Predator, Alien, Aliens, The Thing (1982)
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Yes, Ridley Scott had to be in one of these marathons. And what's better then mixing sci-fi discovery with the horror-film trope of a bunch of people going somewhere, and pretty much everyone dies? Each one of these movies is genuinely scary, classic Arnold Schwarzenegger is tough to beat, and Ellen Ripley's working-woman toughness in Alien, melded with maternal ferocity in Aliens, is a sight to behold.
OK, I have a lot more of these marathons, but can't go on forever. Here are a few more.
Mel Brooks marathon: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs
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The Producers shows Brooks' demented humor post-The 2,000-Year-Old Man. Saddles is one of the best funny movies ever made. Frankenstein is in the next tier of funny movies. And Spaceballs, while stupid and late to the party as a Star Wars spoof, its ludicrous-speed gags are too many to ignore.
Yes, those movies are bad.
But then the marathon gives you a break with Land of the Lost, which at least is stupidly-bad, has hottie Anna Friel, Danny McBride doing his thing, and lots of Will Ferrell screaming. Unless you are tired of Will Ferrell screaming. But Green Lantern and John Carter will crush you under the weight of their wasted potential, with non-charismatic stars, elaborate production designs, watered-down emotional heft and voiceover prologues. Green Lantern lacked the soul and gravity of Geoff Johns' reinvention, and became an overproduced sigh.
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| "It's not me. The whole movie stinks." |
John Carter isn't that bad; unlike Lantern, you can see every cent that went on screen.
But WALL-E honcho Andrew Stanton had a much harder time making his first live-action film than his Pixar buddy Brad Bird did with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Stanton also went too fanboy on the movie, thinking that everyone knew who the hell John Carter was. Parts of Carter worked great, I thought, plus it did give us a hot Dejah Thoris. But any compliment of the movie shouldn't be that it's an improved take on the '80s Flash Gordon movie.
Dystopian nightmare action marathon: Escape from New York, The Warriors, Rollerball, Death Race 2000, The Road Warrior
All these movies have that us-against-the-world suspense level necessary to drive the plot.
With Death Race and Road Warrior, you shouldn't ever go wrong with fast cars on film, gruesome death and shit blowing up. Add a menacing, talented but crazy lead actor to the mix such as James Caan or Mel Gibson (he was “Hollywood crazy” back then, not the actual, racist crazy we now know), and you've really got something.
The best part of Warriors is the creativity of the gangs, plus that killer catchphrase. But Escape beats Warriors because of Snake Plissken. He follows a long tradition of criminal antiheroes, and many have walked in Plissken's footsteps. Vin Diesel and Jason Statham, among others, owe their careers to Kurt Russell's bad-assery. Remember that when you see that new movie Lockout, with Guy Pearce. The TV ads cite a review calling it “Die Hard mixed with Blade Runner,” but real geeks know it's Escape From New York In Space.
Barry Levinson Is Overrated Marathon: Rain Man, Man of the Year, Envy, Toys, The Band That Wouldn't Die
He's so respected as a producer and director, but let's face it, Levinson's overrated.
But it's because when he's good, he's so so good. So this marathon will give you the roller-coaster experience of being a Barry Levinson fan. Rain Man? Excellent. Man of the Year? Robin Williams being unfunny, which happens a lot now.
Then you get Envy, with funny-but-poisonous annoyances Ben Stiller and Jack Black together, fighting over something called the Vapoorizer. (Even worse, the promotional website is still running.) Let's throw Toys in there; not great, but looks very cool and I have a soft spot for Joan Cusack's doofy Alsatia character.
But we need a real high note to remind you of Levinson's goodness, so we end with his documentary The Band That Wouldn't Die, about the Baltimore Colts marching band, who soldier on in heartbroken dedication to honor the memory of a team whose owner packed up and left for Indianapolis in the middle of the night. Levinson, a man from Balmer, really makes the pain hang on the screen, and makes not-moving on look so good.
Bunch of folks walk into a trap of a killer alien marathon: Predator, Alien, Aliens, The Thing (1982)
Yes, Ridley Scott had to be in one of these marathons. And what's better then mixing sci-fi discovery with the horror-film trope of a bunch of people going somewhere, and pretty much everyone dies? Each one of these movies is genuinely scary, classic Arnold Schwarzenegger is tough to beat, and Ellen Ripley's working-woman toughness in Alien, melded with maternal ferocity in Aliens, is a sight to behold.
OK, I have a lot more of these marathons, but can't go on forever. Here are a few more.
Mel Brooks marathon: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs
The Producers shows Brooks' demented humor post-The 2,000-Year-Old Man. Saddles is one of the best funny movies ever made. Frankenstein is in the next tier of funny movies. And Spaceballs, while stupid and late to the party as a Star Wars spoof, its ludicrous-speed gags are too many to ignore.
Living cartoon marathon: Big Trouble In Little China, Speed Racer, Crank, The Matrix, Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Fifth Dimension
All these movies took from their animated inspirations and made something wild and original.
Statham rules, Keanu Reeves looked like an anime hero in the movie that felt like the 21st century. Little China uses Raiden better than Mortal Kombat. Speed and Racer X come to life in a Hot Wheels wet dream. Buckaroo has Jamaican aliens, interdimensional space travel and undeniable '80s rock and fashion.
Obviously, this could go on forever, so I'll stop here.
What movie marathons would you create?
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Watch The First Real Trailer For LOOPER
Watch the first trailer for the upcoming sci-fi action thriller Looper. For the past three days, there have been teasers for the teaser, but today we get the real thing. In the story, time travel exists, but it's illegal and the only people that have it are criminals. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a hired gun that "takes care of people" when they are sent back in time by his bosses in the mob. When he see's his older self (Bruce Willis) as his next target, everything goes wrong. Rian Johnson directed the film which stars Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt.
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THE AVENGERS Isn't Quite Done Yet, Shooting Is Still Happening
Shooting for The Avengers is continuing until the very last moment.
According to multiple sources including indiewire and comicbookmovies, Robert Downey Jr. said that they were shooting a scene yesterday night and later Mark Ruffalo confirmed that an extra scene was being shot during the night. It was a surprise for the actors who had their own teams saying "we don't know where you're going to be or what you're doing.
The new footage will be in the theatrical version of the superhero ensemble flick according to Ruffalo. When Downey first talked about the shoot it garnered laughter, and he had to make it clear "I'm not kidding."
Marvel has done after credit scenes on a few movies, so it could be one of those considering that there is Thor 2, Iron Man 3, and Ant-Man all currently in the works. Kevin Feige was talking earlier today about Edgar Wright, who is working on Ant-Man and he also tweeted "Was just back behind the camera for the first time in nearly two years. Can't say on what, but it was cool..." Just something to think about
The Avengers assemble on May 4th, so think about staying around for the credits when you go see it.
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Two Big Names Added To ROBOCOP Reboot
Robocop continues to move forward with some new casting with some pretty big stars.
According to tracking-board, Edward Norton, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Rebecca Hall are all looking at potential roles in the remake that already has Joel Kinnaman set to star. Sean Penn is also being looked at for a part in the remake that already has a Summer 2013 release date.
Like the original movie, Alex Murphy is a cop in a future Detroit. He is brought back to like as a human/robot hybrid after he is killed in duty. Norton will funny enough play Norton, the genius that is responsible for Robocop's existence.
Bernal is looking at the role of Jack Lewis the handsome partner of Alex who starts a relationship with Hall's potential character Clara. She is the former wife of Alex before he dies and subsequently returns as Robocop.
There are also reports that Sean Penn is being looked at for the part of the "right-wing reporter who sticks to his guns," Novack.
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OLDBOY May Finally Have Its Villain
The latest Oldboy casting news today could see a star from District 9 being a villain.
Variety reports that Sharlton Copley has been offered the role of the mysterious billionaire. A man who appears to want to ruin life for the lead character. Spike Lee will be directing the remake with a new script from Mark Protosevich.
The story is centered on a man who is kidnapped and trapped for 15 years in a small room with no access to anything. When he is released without reason, he becomes determined to find out who captured him and why. Josh Brolin has already been cast in the lead role with Elizabeth Olsen cast as a caseworker helping him to find out what is happening and why he was targeted.
Copley also starred in The A-Team and teamed up with Blomkamp again for Elysium with Matt Damon. His most recent project was Europa, a "space thriller" from Sebatian Cordero.
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WB Picks Up LORE With DWAYNE JOHNSON
Warner Bros is adapting another comic book into a movie. This time they are looking to make Lore with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the star.
THR reports that Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott have been working on a screenplay for Lore which WB is now in the process of acquiring. Some have been describing the project as "Men in Black with mythological creatures.
The project started a bidding war as soon as Johnson was attached. The project ultimately is looking a seven figures and had Paramount and Sony also looking to get the same deal. WB has already made a deal for the source, the comic book series by Ashley Wood and T.P. Louise is published by IDW
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SIN CITY 2 Is On The Way With ROBERT RODRIQUEZ And FRANK MILLER
Get ready for Sin City 2. Development on the sequel has already started with the original writer and he director from the first film.
In a press release today, it was announced that Robert Rodriquez will be directing the follow-up to the Frank Miller story and has started casting, though no names have popped up yet. The sequel to the 2005 film will be called Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. While the wait has been long, Rodriquez says that he has "felt a duty to the fans to wait until we had something truly exceptional."
Written by Milller and William Monahan (The Departed). The story is based on an early arc from the graphic novel. Miller talked a bit about the project saying that “The first Sin City knocked out audiences who had never seen anything like it before. Robert Rodriguez and I are going to shake things up and deliver a ferocious film experience that is going to go even further than the first.“
The first film brought in over $160 million worldwide and was a step in a new direction for comic book movies using a good amount of green-screen and use of graphics and special effects that made it look very close to the stylized artwork from Miller's series
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BOOK REPORT: Details Emerge On New J.K. ROWLING BOOK
It will be called The Casual Vacancy, and is about an idyllic English town called Pagford which, after the unexpected death of one of it's popular citizens, reveals the unrest that has been rising but well hidden so far, and it's about to surface.
Publisher Little, Brown elaborated, "Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems."
It is described as "darkly comic," and will be priced at $35, with a release date set for September 27.
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PLASTIC FILMTASTIC: BATTLESHIP
Every Friday, FOG! will present the biggest movies reviewed, Lego style!
Set sail for our review of Battleship, a quick thumbs up for The Cabin in the Woods and the sentencing of movie menace George Lucas!
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