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Win ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle – The Official Movie Novelization’!

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With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy…

And we’re giving away three copies!

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

This is the third film Kingsman co-creator Mark Millar has made
with director/co-writer Matthew Vaughn.  What was the first?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 October 8, 2017.


Welcome to The Planet: Wonder Woman Investigates, Scooby-Doo is a Challenger, Batgirl Flashback & More!

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With so many guest stars and cameos this week it is hard to keep track​. There is also a lot of traveling – in time, into dimensions and across the globe.

Blue Beetle bids farewell to his creative team, while Wonder Woman welcomes another.

Scooby-Doo and Power Rangers deserve a special mention for pulling out all the stops in the entertainment stakes.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the best offerings from the DC Universe this week!

 

WONDER WOMAN #31
Children Of The Gods – Part 1
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by Carlo Pagulayan, Sean Parsons,
Jason Paz, Scott Hanna

Grail, daughter of Darkseid has arrived on Earth to hunt down life​force energy for the Lord of Apokolips himself. Grail discovers the ​whereabouts of the mighty Hercules​, and a bloodthirsty battle ensues with only one of them walking away. Elsewhere, probate lawyer Blake Hooper seeks out Wonder Woman with news of an unexpected windfall.

Stunning art and an engaging storyline shifts the direction of the book once more. This time the story moves away from ‘lite’ and straight into an immersive mystery.

A trademark of James Robinson is the depth of his storytelling, and as the book ties into Darkseid’s current dilemma, I am more than a little excited.

 

THE HELLBLAZER #14
The Inspiration Game: Poetic Justice – Part 2
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Jesus Merino

Detective Chief Inspector Margaret Ames is hot on the trail of a murderer in Kings Cross​, St. Pancras​,​ while John returns to the bar where everything went blank for him.

Casting a spell, he relives the night. He makes a discovery that two Nordic dwarves are somehow involved in the crime and may well be following Ames to complete a ritual.

Can John save Ames before the manipulative dwarves escalate their killing spree?

The bacon grease infused magic spell was inspired and having seen things play out in the third person was very clever.

I think I would have liked the crime to​ remain a mystery for a few issues more​,​ as it gave the story an interesting twist.

I wish some of the dialogue could have been worked on because John seems to continually fall into comedic stereotype.

 

SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP #30
Did Someone Say “Team” Up?
Writer: Sholly Fisch
Artist: Dario Brizuela

When the Gnome King seeks out two government agents to help gather ingredients for a potion that will save the world​,​
they do the only thing they can and call the experts.

What they get are two teams that are experts in the supernatural – Mystery Inc & The Challengers Of The Unknown.

During their quest they cross​ paths with several other teams including the Sea Devils, Team Carson, Secret Six and one final surprise team.

With so many heroes involved, can they put their rivalry aside to save the day?

I never really liked the Challengers Of The Unknown to be honest. Seeing them being in this issue made me think it was going to be a boring story.

How wrong I was​!​ The story was fun and escalated by the cameos of ​other teams. The Cave Carson nod to the current book was inspired for the parents reading the book. I loved every second.

 

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER #2
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Trevor McCarthy

Jake Grayson recalls the day Nightwing detonated a gene bomb that erased super powers while under observation at Holt Industries.

The former Mr.Terrific tells Dick about his son’s power surge and his immunity to the inhibitors they use on meta humans in 2040.

Dick is desperate to keep Jake’s powers hidden, but as the armed forces detect meta activity on the Grayson estate​,​
things take a turn for the worse and the raid results in a fatality.

The art was really strong this issue, with some very evocative storytelling. The same cannot be said of the script.

In comparison to last issue, the writing went nowhere.

There was a long drawn out scene with Alfred trying to force some drama and one that spelt out what we already knew with Mr. Terrific. With only three pages of story advancement, this was a major disappointment.

 

LOONEY TUNES #239
What’s (Space) Opera, Doc?
Flower Power
Behind The Slapstick
Written by Ivan Cohen, Frank Strom
Illustrated by Robert Pope & Scott McRae,
Pablo Zamboni, Horatio Ottolino,
David Alvarez & Mike Decarlo

The first sees the crew of the U.S.S Activity on a five year mission to explore space. Unfortunately for the crew, their mission proves to be boring, that is, until they face the wrath of Fudd!

Marvin The Martian’s latest plot to conquer Earth involves a giant plant, the Florus Destructus Weed. Unfortunately, the weed proves to be more than Marvin can handle!

Sylvester, Tweety & Granny have entertained the world for years but there is more to their japes than we know​,​ and we get a glimpse of their real lives.

A mixed bag of stories, Marvin’s was the one closest to to classic Looney Tunes fare, but the Tweety story was quite funny too.

I felt the weakest story was the Star Trek homage and it wasn’t helped by the fact that the artwork was quite constricted in panels.

I also don’t think the kids will appreciate the Space Opera story. I assume that one was specially written for the adults.

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE/POWER RANGERS #6
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Stephen Byrne

The Rangers may have their Power Coins back​,​ but Brainiac still has control of the Zords.

With the Justice League’s help and a gigantic Alpha 5, the heroes battle Zedd’s evil forces. Cyborg & Billy hatch a master plan but will it be enough to stop Lord Zedd & Brainiac? It will take the might of two super teams to rescue Zordon and save Angel Grove!

​As with Batman/TMNT​,​ this Power Rangers crossover​ delves into​ both universes, each given equal focus. For fans of either franchise there is much to enjoy but with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers long ended the nostalgic elements are in full force.

Stephen Byrne’s art feels incredible natural throughout and there are some nice touches that eagle-eyed fans will flip out over.The last page also promises that this isn’t quite the end.

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #15
Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Felipe Wantanabe, Ruy Jose

As the heroes converge on Ignition Point and bring Dr. Aut and Ray Palmer together, The Atom remembers the past.
He thinks back to discovering the microverse, meeting Dr. Aut and the beautiful Preon.

Their quest for knowledge leads them to discover a fracture in reality and only they can repair it. They could be the heroes of all reality but what led to Dr. Aut and Palmer falling out?

Please don’t let this be the end of Ray Palmer!

I have always been a fan of his and it has been such a long road to get here that I can’t shake the feeling something terrible is about to happen.

The fact that this issue delved deeper into Ray’s backstory makes me all the more nervous.

The flashback is interesting and shows motive and drive for both Ray and​,​ by extension​,​ Ryan.

Orlando once more proves that the book’s strength is in characterisation and this is definitely the most perilous storyline to date.

 

HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #29
Fall Of The Gods: Conclusion – The Dead Will Rise
Written by Robert Vendetti
Illustrated by Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona

As the Corps try saving Orion, he awakens and reveals the Golems are heading to the Source Wall​,​ intent on releasing Yuga Khan.

Realising the high stakes, John leads the Corps to intercept the Golems. Hal and Highfather race to meet the Corps with a plan to keep Yuga Khan trapped forever.

It may just be me but I felt the story ended disappointingly.

I really enjoyed the build-up, and I know Yuga Khan is the only being that strikes fear into Darkseid, but I just thought his return would have been a bit more epic.

The turnaround to attack the Source Wall felt forced and the shifted the direction at the last minute.

I also didn’t like the Achilles Heel solution to defeating the Golems.  It felt a little too easy after their near invulnerability in previous issues.

 

BLUE BEETLE #13
Written by Keith Giffen,J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by Scott Kolins

Teri seeks Jaime’s help to return to 3001​,​ supercharged with Blue Beetle’s energy.  When they arrive the land is in the centre of a battle between the Justice League, the Legion ​o​f Doom & Lady Styx.

As Teri helps to fight the Legion, Wonder Woman and the Justice League fight Blue Beetle. Flash and Blue Beetle come face to face with Lady Styx and she reveals a shocking secret that propels Teri and Jaime back to the present. What will they do with their newfound knowledge of the future?

While it was cool to revisit 3001 and see the Justice League in action once more and foreshadowing Lady Styx in Blue Beetle’s future, the issue was more a love letter to those characters than a Blue Beetle story. I hope that next issue drives the character into a new direction because Blue Beetle is a title that hasn’t felt like it was living up to its true potential.

 

BATGIRL #15
Summer Of Lies – Part 2
Written by Hope Larson
Illustrated by Chris Wildgoose, Jose Marzan Jr.

Dick and Barbara join forces and discover from a terrified Jonathan Crane that the Red Queen is at the centre of the mystery.

A doctor in the hospital, seemingly under a spell, reveals herself as the Red Knight and promptly attacks the heroes.
Barbara realises they may know the identity of the Red Queen and tries to think back to their youth for a clue.

As the duo remember their earliest adventures, the mystery becomes even weirder.

A fun look into the past of teen heroes, Batgirl and Robin, their burgeoning relationship and evolution as detectives.

It will be interesting to see who the Red Queen really is and how she ties into their past.

The one thing I would like to see is a move to more detailed art. The inking was figure based and that left the environment lacking.

 

Graphic Breakdown: Eastman Goes Kamandi, Batman and The Shadow Reach The End, Mr. Oz Revealed & More!

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Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

It’s fall and the leaves are falling. Here are some comics to end the month out with.

 

Batman/The Shadow #6
Written by Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Riley Rossmo

This has been a great crossover. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Now that I have read them all I can honestly say that this was awesome from start to finish. I’m really sad it’s over.

The Stag and the Joker are trying to end the world!

The world is going to fall into complete darkness. It’s up to the Shadow and Batman to stop them.

But can they?

And will Batman accept the destiny the Shadow has told him about?

The writing is superb. Snyder and Orlando make for a hell of a collaborative team. And the art from Rossmo is a career best for him. This is going to have a sequel. It won’t be as good though, since this creative team won’t all be returning.

I’m glad this came out however. Great stuff.

RATING: A

 

Batman: The Murder Machine #1
Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Ricardo Federici

Damn, I’m enjoying these Metal tie-ins. This issue deals with the Batman who is indeed a murder machine! Tieri is the perfect comic book writer for this tale and his work shines here.

This “Murder Machine Batman” decides it’s time to do something truly ballsy: he’s going to invade the Justice League Watchtower.

This issue focuses primarily of him doing that. It leads to a lot of beat downs and hell to pay.

Tieri keeps the entire event fast and fun. The art is fantastic. I haven’t heard of Federici before, but he does a great job here.

Pick this up. Metal is damn awesome and this continues on that trend.

RATING: A-

 

The American Way: Those Above and Below #3
Written by John Ridley
Illustrated by Georges Jeanty

We are three issues into this sequel and I’m happy to report this is an excellent follow up. Sometimes when a sequel comes out it isn’t as good, but I can safely say this is a worthy follow up to the original.

Things are getting crazy for the remaining heroes of the Civil Defense Corps.

Jason’s actions against Black Power groups have gotten him noticed by the wrong parts of the government. While this is going on, Amber Waves is having problems of her own making.

John Ridley writes a wonderful tale that is also very topical. The art by Jeanty is great as well. I can’t wait to read all of this together.

It’s really good. Pick it up.

Now.

And don’t wait.

RATING: A

 

Kamandi Challenge #9
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Kevin Eastman

Yay! This is the issue I have been waiting for! Kevin Eastman makes his DC Comics artistic debut in this issue. It’s definitely been worth the wait. He has an obvious love for Kamandi and it’s truly wonderful to see his joy transcend onto the page.

This issue picks up with Kamandi lost at sea! It’s a tale of suspense and intrigue as we see Kamandi fighting for his life alongside a menagerie. He’s trapped. Can he escape these conditions he has been forced into?

King writes a fantastic story. He and Eastman work magically together. (Also a note Freddie Williams III helps out with art assisting Eastman making this great)

This is a classic issue and I wish they would work on Kamandi for more than one issue.

Still, I’ll take what I can get.

RATING: A

 

The Flash #31
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Neil Googe

The Flash has been damn entertaining lately.

Barry has been turned into the Negative Flash and it has been just an insane time. He can’t get a handle on either his powers or his attitude.

The Flash battles against Bloodwork in this issue and it’s an pretty damn wild.

Bloodwork has some of the craziest powers I’ve seen in some time. As he fights against this villain, Barry is consistently reminded how this whole thing is indeed his fault.

Williamson writes a great story here. He’s on a real roll lately. The art is not the best but not the worst either.

Pick this up. It’s been a great run so far on this Negative Flash storyline.

RATING: B+

 

Suicide Squad #26
Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Stjepan Sejic

Man, putting on Stjepan Sejic on a title for art duties really makes a difference.

First, he goes on Aquaman and makes a decent comic great. Then, he comes onto this title and makes it look shiny and new and exciting.

This is a Metal tie in issue! Villains have taken over Gotham City! They take over sections of the town and are making their play for dominance! Who can stop them?

The Suicide Squad! We hope!

The story is fun and the art works well with it. It’s just a guilty pleasure good time. Pick it up as this works better than it has in past issues (with other artists) Sejic adds a crazy energy. It makes everything seems fresh again.

RATING: B+

 

Mother Panic #11
Written by Jody Houser
Illustrated by Shawn Crystal

Mother Panic has been a rollicking weird time thus far.

Jody Houser is a hell of a writer and she’s doing some truly unique storylines.

This issue features a threat from Mother Panic’s past.

It’s a suspense tale that Houser writes well and keeps you guessing. I couldn’t tell where this issue was going. That’s part of the fun though.

The art leaves me cold. I don’t know where Shawn Crystal came from but I’m not loving it. He seems like a rejected Image artist from the 1990s.

The story is involving enough to keep you reading. With a better artist this could be a much stronger book.

RATING: B

 

Detective Comics #965
Written by James Tynion IV 
Illustrated by Eddy Barrows

This is an issue that focuses on Tim Drake.

Or rather the mystery of where the hell Tim Drake might actually be. We have seen him locked up by Mr. Oz. Can he escape his prison?

I liked this a lot. The whole issue feels like a Stalag 17 good old fashioned prison break.

The story by Tynion is very good and he writes Tim Drake to a tee. I’ve always liked Red Robin and it’s good to see him back in the spotlight for the Rebirth boos.

What can I say about Eddy Barrows? Well, I’m super happy he finally makes his way back to the book. He and Tynion work well together and always make a solid team. Pick this up. It’s a good start to a good new storyline and it’s a nice semi tie-in to the Action Comics storyline currently going on!

RATING: B+

 

Batman Beyond #12
Written by Steve Orlando and Vita Ayala
Illustrated by Siya Oum

This comic features a guest creative team! But they do so well they should think about staying on.

It focuses on the Batmen being out of town(Bruce and Terry) and nobody left to protect Gotham. Nobody that is, except the futuristic Batgirl.

Nissan is the 15 year old Batgirl of the future!

Commissioner Barbara Gordon is led to a siege in which she can’t get out of. Nissa is the only one who can save her. Can she prove her mettle? Or will Commissioner Gordon die?

The story is exciting and nicely written. The art is something special too. Oum is someone who I haven’t seen before in comics but I just loved the artwork.

Pick this up. It’s a fairly awesome issue.

RATING: A-

 

Bombshells United #2
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by Marguerite Sauvage

The All Marguerite party continues on in this fine issue. It’s been a nice two first issues for this title both in writing and art. I hope this team stays on for a while on this title as they work superbly together.

This tale has Wonder Woman protecting some of Donna Troy’s and Cassie Sandsmarks’ friends by taking them to a forest. These ingrates however want to leave and start to complain.

Then, it appears a spy may have infiltrated the camp! What’s a Wonder Woman to do?

This story had a lot of drama and some dark humor in it. It’s handled very well. The art is wonderful and does the story justice.

Pick this up. It’s a good comic book reading experience.

RATING: B+

 

Action Comics #988
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Ryan Sook

The first page of this issue is just the coolest page ever. As drawn by Ryan Sook (underrated), it has one word on it. And it’s Superman’s reaction to finding out who Mr. Oz actually is. It’s wonderful.

The rest of the issue gives us the story of how Mr. Oz came to be on this Earth.

Dan Jurgens writes a decent enough tale that doesn’t exactly surprise. I’m not the biggest fan of this “revelation.”

But at least they are doing something that hasn’t really been done before. That’s to be commended.

The art is the best part for me. Sook is such a damn fine artist. I wish he would do more Superman as he’s got a great handle on him. Worth a look.

RATING: B+

 

 

Famous People Say Nice Things About The Graphic Novel, ‘Allen: Son of Hellcock’

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“I don’t often provide blurbs for books, but when the writers literally have you chained to a wall and are refusing to let you leave before you give them one, you tend to relax your standards. Enjoy this book. I did. Now let me go, please.”John Oliver

“As an unsolicited exercise in juvenilia, ALLEN: SON OF HELLCOCK is very funny and wonderfully illustrated. I was equally surprised by how much I liked it and that it existed at all.”Jesse Eisenberg

“I’ve known Gabe Koplowitz since he was 9 years old, and I’m baffled by this. I thought maybe he’d be a doctor — I was thinking podiatrist. But now this… What is this? Is it about vikings or Millennials? And is Allen wearing tights? Why is Allen wearing tights? And who is Will Tracy? I think this Will Tracy is a bad influence.”Dave Eggers

“The Fatheads who wrote ALLEN,SON OF HELLOCK, don’t laugh at jokes. No. They listen, then nod their heads, sagely, and make comments like ‘ah, yes. That is quite funny’ and ‘I see what you are doing, verbally, with the use of outrage-e-osity vis-a-vis logic.’ They make up words like ‘outrage-e-osity’! Honestly! I have no time for any of them…”Tom Hanks

From the comedic minds of Will Tracy (Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Onion), Gabe Koplowitz (VICELAND), and acclaimed international artist Miguel Porto comes the original graphic novel ALLEN, SON OF HELLCOCK, that rare literary debut that has it all: washed-up sorcerers and swordsmen, terrifying horse-donkeys, sensitive ogres, cynical blob-men, ornery minotaur landlords, an exceedingly polite retired despot, a black-hearted but oddly lovable villain, an idealistic young woman who’s the only one with any brains, and a would-be warrior who can’t seem to escape his own hackneyed destiny . . . But mostly, it’s a story about a boy and his father. See, living in the shadow of your father’s legacy can be a tough thing, especially if your dad was the mightiest warrior to ever live.

ALLEN, SON OF HELLCOCK follows the misadventures of Allen, a slack jawed hipster who desperately wants to cast off his family’s legacy …. to embrace his lifelong dream to become a comic book artist. It’s the perfect father’s day gift for anyone with an overbearing dad, which is why it’s ever so perfect that Z2 Comics will publish the graphic novel on October 31, timed to Halloween.

What Critics Are Saying About ALLEN, SON OF HELLCOCK

“Get ready to dive into a new quirky fantasy adventure.” — ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Both funny and poignant.”— BLEEDING COOL

“Living in the shadow of your parent’s legacy can be a tough thing—even moreso if a) your parent was the mightiest warrior to ever live and b) you’re the direct opposite of that. . . . Written by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s Will Tracy and VH1 director Gabe Koplowitz, and with art by Miguel Porto, Allan, Son of Hellcock picks up after the death of Allen’s dad—the greatest hero in all the land—Hellcock (which is a spectacular fantasy warrior name, by the way). He’s entrusted his legacy to his whiny, cowardly, only son.“ — io9

“I was only two pages in when I realized this might be the funniest book of the year.”— FORCES OF GEEK

 

About The Creators

Will Tracy is a writer for HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and the former Editor in Chief of The Onion, America’s Finest News Source. He lives in Brooklyn.

Gabe Koplowitz is a writer/director at VICELAND. Originally from San Francisco, he developed a love for comics by stealing his brother’s copies of GROO THE WANDERER at a young age. He lives in Brooklyn.

Miguel Porto is a cartoonist, and illustrator living in Vigo, Spain. He has worked for Redbook, El País, Mongolia, done posters for music groups (Foot Village’s European tour), and covers (the Spanish edition of LORD OF CHAOS), but mostly he spends his days doing educational books and teaching drawing and color. He likes forests, ghosts, and owns two cats named Olive and Munchausen, and has enough scars to prove it.

 

Just a Couple of Steampunks: A Review of ‘The Five Fists of Science’

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The Five Fists of Science
Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Steven Sanders
Published by Image Comics
ISBN-10: 1534304363
ISBN-13: 978-1534304369
Released September 27, 2017/$16.99

 

Ver•i•si•mil•i•tude:The appearance of being truthful or factual.

Writing steampunk is tougher than it looks.

On the surface of it all, you’re just taking science fiction concepts and adding them to the 19th century (usually either a Wild West America or Victorian Britain).

But in order to break the rules, you must have knowledge of them first, and not everyone can bring together historical characters with the skill of Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman.

However, Matt Fraction and Steven Sanders have managed to assemble a historical dream team of a cast, and armed them with a background rich enough to drag a compelling story from its murky depths. Fighting on the side of the angels (or at least the people who want less wars and weapons in general) we have the historical figures of Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Bertha von Sutter opposing the diabolical-but-disciplined Thomas Edison, a stage-chewing sinister CEO J.P. Morgan, a surprisingly sympathetic Andrew Carnegie, and a Neville Longbottom parody of Guglielmo Marconi (the father of radio).

When I think of Mark Twain in comics, I am reminded of the classic Sandman story where Mark Twain (real name Samuel Clemens) interacts with Emperor Norton, the self-styled King of San Francisco. Here, Neil Gaiman takes a real-life encounter between the two (Twain was living in San Francisco at the time, and shared at least one meal with the Emperor) and spins a tale of the importance of self-delusion to happiness, and the importance of stories not strictly factual. Twain is more of an observer in Gaiman’s story than in Fraction’s, but both stories channel a facet of the humorist’s outgoing personality and help tell a story that’s none the less true for never having happened.

Twain in The Five Fists of Science is much more of a showman; a huckster unapologetic of his own financial debts (“financially embarrassed” and “fiscally ashamed” are thrown around). Fraction does not so much write Twain’s antics as he does set him loose on the rest of the cast , with lines like “Had enough? Because I write lefty- I can keep punching like this all night…”. Tesla, a real-life colleague and admirer of Twain, does not need much introduction into his eccentricities. He is played well against the rest of the cast, and has some genuine moments of breaking free from the parody of his personal affectations and mannerisms; fans of his will not walk away feeling cheated.
Bertha von Sutter seems such a larger than life character that the fictional version suffers for it at first, coming off in some instances as a long-suffering female assistant trope and at others, an inferior copy of Alan Moore’s expropriation of Mina Harker (in his and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series).

It is an inevitable dilemma when bringing her together with such characters (in every sense of the word) as Twain and Tesla; one of their first meetings together literally upstages von Sutter at her own event for global disarmament. As the story progresses, however, she becomes more dynamic, forcing the story to carve her a larger role. Given how much von Sutter wrote about the perils of sexism for both genders, it’s fitting to see her roll up her sleeves and save the day. The overall effect is enough of a success that Fraction and Sanders can be forgiven for playing it fast and loose with von Sutter’s age and appearance.

Although the specter of a global arms race hangs over the story in The Five Fists of Science, the traditional villain here is J.P. Morgan, a man whose real-life accomplishments make him perfectly suited for the role he plays in the comic. Although I find the writer’s connection to Lovecraft a bit on the nose, watching an eldritch J.P. Morgan sneer at Twain that he never liked humor solidifies his purpose; this is one of the times that Sanders’ art really makes the story. Andrew Carnegie is treated with much more sympathy; he comes off as more a Steve Jobs-type pulled along by Morgan’s machinations. Given Carnegie’s philosophy of the wealthy helping the poor, as well as his efforts to establish public libraries in the U.S., I am inclined to go along with this softhearted propaganda. Thomas Edison is less a representation of the real person and more a portrayal of Tesla’s opposite.

Demure where Tesla is disconnected, antiseptic when Tesla is eccentric, Edison really comes off as a credible threat to our heroes. And then there is Marconi, who almost was the first person to invent the radio (after Edison). More liberties are taken with this historical character than even J.P. Morgan, but that’s what happens when you fall in with the Fascists and Mussolini is best man at your wedding; there are worse things to be written as than a buffoonish stress-eater.

When held up against the real-life accomplishments of its characters, The Five Fists of Science is perhaps a bit flawed, but damn fine fun. I am reminded of the joke where a man in a courtroom is asked to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing bu the truth, so help you God.” The man replies “Your Honor, I promise to show the truth a real good time.”

 

‘Wind River’ Starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen Available on Blu-ray & DVD Nov. 14; Digital HD Oct. 31

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The suspenseful thriller keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, Wind River, written and directed by Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan (Best Original Screenplay, Hell or High Water, 2017), arrives on Digital HD October 31 and on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD November 14 from Lionsgate. Following its critically acclaimed premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh film stars two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (Best Actor, The Hurt Locker, 2008; Best Supporting Actor, The Town, 2010) and Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers franchise, Ingrid Goes West), alongside Gil Birmingham (Hell or High Water), Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead,” The Wolf of Wall Street), Martin Sensmeir (The Magnificent Seven franchise), Kelsey Asbille (“Teen Wolf,” “Embeds”), and Julia Jones (The Twilight Saga Franchise).

Wind River is a chilling thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Olsen) who teams up with a game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Renner) to investigate the mysterious killing of a local girl on a remote Native American reservation.

The home entertainment release of Wind River features all-new bonus content, including a never-before-seen video gallery and deleted scenes. Wind River will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for $34.99 and $29.95, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Behind-the-Scenes Video Gallery
  • Deleted Scenes

Facebook.com/WindRiverMov

 

Win ‘Alien: Covenant Origins’ – The Official Prequel to the Blockbuster Film

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The Covenant mission is the most ambitious endeavor in the history of Weyland-Yutani. A ship bound for Origae-6, carrying two thousand colonists beyond the limits of known space, this is make-or-break investment for the corporation—and for the future of all mankind.

Yet there are those who would die to stop the mission. As the colony ship hovers in Earth orbit, several violent events reveal a deadly conspiracy to sabotage the launch. While Captain Jacob Branson and his wife Daniels complete their preparations, security chief Daniel Lopé recruits the final key member of his team. Together they seek to stop the perpetrators before the ship and its passengers can be destroyed.

An original novel by the acclaimed ALAN DEAN FOSTER, author of the groundbreaking Alien novelization, Origins is the official chronicle of the events that led up to Alien: Covenant. It also reveals the world the colonists left behind.

And we’re giving away three copies!

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

What are the names of the two androids that appeared in Alien: Covenant?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 October 8, 2017.

Dan Panosian Talks ‘Slots’

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Photo courtesy of adventuresinpoortaste.com

Artist Dan Panosian is best known for his work on Marvel and Image books as penciller and inker. Remember those sweet fake X-Men books in the movie Logan? Yup, Dan did those too. Dan joins us today to talk about his bold new crime redemption story from Skybound, Slots. He also reminisces about the early days of Image Comics, why he decided to break into storytelling with Slots at Skybound/Image, and what the future holds for his hero, Stanley Dance.

* * * * *

FOG!:  What can you tell us about Slots and your lead character Stanley Dance?

Dan Panosian: Stanley is the guy who made every selfish decision that most normal people would deem far too indulgent . We can all look back and wonder what our lives would be like if we took some left turns here and there. But generally we’re reasonable and responsible.

Stanley always listened to the devil on his shoulder and brushed off the angel. Consequently, he doesn’t have many friends or family left. Or chances for that matter.  He’s pretty much done.  That’s where we start off.

We’ve been a fan of your art for a long time, what made you want to tell this particular story as the writer and artist

It’s the reason I started working in this business. It’s been a long journey to get here but I couldn’t be happier this is the project.  The material is a bit personal.  I love this world.  This genre.

Why is Stanley headed back to Vegas? Lots of unfinished business?

In the beginning of the book, like I mentioned, he’s finished.  He’s done.  He’s going to end things.  But he’s superstitious and virtually anything and everything could be a “sign”. In this case it’s a text message from a former girlfriend calling in a favor.  Boom – he’s off to Vegas.  It’s a sign.

Why Las Vegas as a backdrop and is this as fun to draw as it looks? Casinos, fighting, the desert!

You can win or lose a fortune in a blink of an eye in Las Vegas.  Stanley is always chasing luck.  Las Vegas is all about being lucky.  It’s also the fight capital of the world.  So both elements create the perfect backdrop for a story of this nature.  It can be spectacular but it can be seedy.  It’s all there.  I love Vegas.

Is this an ongoing story or a limited series?

We’ll see.  I have two more story arcs in mind but this is a stand alone story.  So it’s up to the fans!

But… isn’t it always?

I’ve been asking people about Image at 25. What is your favorite memory of Image Comics and what is the best part about putting Slots out under Skybound?

Wow.  Where to start?  I was very young.  I started out briefly with Homage Studios inking Marc Silvestri’s Cyber Force but I moved out to draw Prophet for Rob Liefeld.  Rob’s studio was called Extreme and it lived up to that name in every sense of the word.  Friends repelling down the 12 story building, artists sparring each other in the bullpen, paintball wars… It was like a Summer Camp that lasted several years.

The best part of Image Comics for me?  I guess since I’m such a fan at heart, the best part for me was being a part of a comic book making machine.  Feeling that energy.  Seeing the art.  Watching it being created.  It was a very special time for me.

When it comes to Skybound, I’m very grateful that Robert Kirkman gave me an opportunity to take my time and make this book happen.  He also paired me up with Sean Mackiewicz and Arielle Basich.  I couldn’t ask for better editors.   I’m kinda spoiled now.  Unlike Stanley Dance, I got lucky!

 

Slots #1 arrives in comic stores and digital on 10/4/2017

Follow Dan at @urbanbarbarian

 

 


‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Arrives on Blu-ray 11/21; Digital HD 11/7! New Red Band Trailer!

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Leading an all-star cast, Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, The Proposal) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe) take viewers on an outrageous action-packed, comedic adventure in The Hitman’s Bodyguard, arriving on Digital HD November 7 and 4K Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital HD), Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and On Demand November 21 from Lionsgate. When Michael Bryce, an elite bodyguard, and Darius Kincaid, a renowned hit man, are forced to work together, they don’t just have to avoid getting killed…they also have to avoid killing each other. The film, which was #1 at the summer box office three weeks in a row, also stars Oscar® nominees Gary Oldman (2011, Best Actor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Salma Hayek (2002, Best Actress, Frida).

The world’s top protection agent (Reynolds) is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world’s most notorious hit men (Jackson). The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years, and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their raucous and hilarious adventure from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades, and a merciless Eastern European dictator (Oldman) who is out for blood. Hayek joins the mayhem as Jackson’s equally notorious wife.

Directed by Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, Red Hill) and written by Tom O’Connor (Fire with Fire), The Hitman’s Bodyguard 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital HD features exclusive bonus content including outtakes; four featurettes; deleted, extended, and alternate scenes; and audio commentary with director Patrick Hughes. The DVD will include director commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette. The 4K Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.
 
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Outtakes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Extended Scenes
  • Alternate Scenes
  • The Hitman’s Bodyguard: A Love Story” Featurette
  • “Hitman vs. Bodyguard” Featurette
  • “Dangerous Women” Featurette
  • “Big Action in a Big World” Featurette
  • Director’s Commentary

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • “Big Action in a Big World” Featurette
  • Director’s Commentary

 

Facebook.com/HitmansBodyguard

 

‘Lucky’ (review)

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Produced by Ira Steven Behr, Greg Gilreath,
Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Adam Hendricks,
Logan Sparks, Drago Sumonja
Richard Kahan, John H. Lang,

Written by Logan Sparks and Drago Sumonja
Directed by  John Carroll Lynch
Starring Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch,
Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt,
Beth Grant, James Darren, Yvonne Huff,
Barry Shabaka Henley, Hugo Armstrong

 

What was a sweetly quirky showcase for beloved character actor Harry Dean Stanton has now, with his death, become a beautifully moving cinematic farewell.

It’s a perfect tribute to the actor, with fond echoes of his best films. The small town desert setting recalls Wim Wender’s magnificent Paris, Texas, one of the few films in his 60-year career where Stanton played the lead.

Lucky, the title character, is an independent old coot who lives alone and whom we first see performing his daily routine of yoga stretches. When he suddenly collapses (another callback to his role of the nearly silent Travis in Paris, Texas), he reluctantly consults a doctor. Lucky is in good shape for his age, especially considering the smoking, but the simple fact is, he’s not going to be around much longer.

Stanton’s melancholy presence pulls this uncomplicated film up into something sublime, something strangely and profoundly moving. Underpinning each conversation, each scene, whether it’s explicitly stated or not, is that Lucky is dying.

Actors with whom he’s worked before — including Tom Skerritt and Ed Begley, Jr. — stop in for a scene or two. Even if the films that first brought them together aren’t referenced at all, we feel the weight of their history and the joy they have in sharing the screen again, if only for a few minutes.

The lines between the character and the actor blur. We learn the 90-something Lucky, like Stanton, served in the navy during World War II as a cook aboard a tank ship off of Okinawa, and there’s a photo of a young Stanton in uniform on Lucky’s shelf.

Throughout the film, the mundane becomes metaphoric, such as in a scene where Lucky’s friend Paulie (James Darren) seems transfigured by the lights and music from the bar next door to their favorite bar. He seems to disappear into the bar and Lucky follows, transfixed. He walks in through the out door, one side of his face bathed in red light, another awash in in the green light of the exit light. It’s a simple visual metaphor — Lucky is fast approaching life’s exit — and yet the obviousness of the metaphor doesn’t undermine the power of the image.

What starts out as an eccentric bit about David Lynch’s lost tortoise becomes surprisingly moving when he laments his loss. “He affected me,” he tells everyone in the bar who doesn’t understand his pain. Like that odd little storyline, the film sneaks up on you and you realize that hidden in the folds of its eccentricity is real feeling, real sorrow.

I saw the film about a month before Stanton’s death and was moved to tears. I typed this when I got home: “In a film about a man coming to terms with his own mortality, we’re well aware that the actor playing him probably hasn’t got much longer to live. Like Lucky, Stanton is spry, but fragile.”

The fact that Stanton died before the film’s release makes this tribute even more elegiac.

Some of the final shots show Lucky’s favorite spots, the abandoned buildings and the tumble-down garage he always walks past. We think, at first, that Lucky is gone, and that the film is mourning his presence, all the places he’ll never be seen again.

And then there’s Lucky after all, slowly making his way down the hill to his house. He stops to contemplate a weathered cactus and looks up to the top, where new blooms are about to burst forth. And then that craggy, dour face breaks into a smile. The camera glories in his smile for a moment, and then Lucky turns and walks away in what is arguably the most beautiful last scene of any actor’s career.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

‘American Made’ (review)

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Produced by Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver,
Tyler Thompson, Doug Davison, Kim Roth
Written by Gary Spinelli
Directed by Doug Liman
Starring Tom Cruise, Sarah Wright,
Domhnall Gleeson, Alejandro Edda,
Mauicio Mejia, Jayma Mays, Jesse Plemons,
Lola Kirke, Caleb Landry Jones, Connor Trinneer

 

Whether you like his public persona or not, you have to admit that Tom Cruise has achieved his status as a superstar because of his strong charisma and tenacious dedication.

Sure, he is guilty of occasionally hamming it up to unbearable degrees like most actors with his status do from time to time, but when he is good, he is undeniably very entertaining to watch.

While 2017 has already showed us the hammy Cruise earlier this year when the movie-going public had the misfortune of seeing him do some of his worst work to date in the reboot and supposed franchise starter The Mummy, we are thankfully reminded of his good acting qualities as he spends the entirety of American Made charming both government officials, drug cartel overlords and cinema audiences alike.

Telling the story of Barry Seal, a talented TWA pilot turned CIA operative turned drug smuggler turned DEA informant, American Made depicts Seal’s rise and fall.

The crazy story of Seal’s life is interesting enough in itself, and the film covers his eventful life in broad strokes, swiftly moving from the time he is approached by the CIA to do reconnaissance missions over South America, and eventually collect information from General Noriega, to becoming a smuggler for the Medellin cartel and so on and so forth. The many events are all tied together by cutting back and forth to Barry making video tapes for the authorities to find after the untimely demise Barry Seal eventually came to expect for himself.

American Made has a distinctly playful tone, which makes it enjoyable from start to finish.

The playfulness suits Cruise perfectly, as he clearly has fun with the role, all the while being committed enough to ensure that he also turns in an engaging performance as Barry Seal rather than simply phoning it in, which he has been prone to do in recent years. This approach to the portrayal of the main character therefore serves as a welcome reminder of the playful Cruise of old successes such as Risky Business and Cocktail. The supporting cast is also having a good time with Domhnall Gleeson and Caleb Landry Jones being particularly memorable, and Sarah Wright also spars well with Cruise in her portrayal of Barry’s wife. But make no mistake; this is all about Barry Seal and therefore also all about Tom Cruise, which may thrill longtime fans of the actor, but deter those who strongly dislike him.

However, as fun as the film is as both a recent Cruise vessel as well as an entry into the much-maligned subgenre of biographical cinema, American Made hardly establishes itself as a modern classic.

Fans of other productions concerning the outrageous world of the Medellin cartel such as Narcos are likely to consider American Made a welcome treat until the next season of the Netflix series becomes available, but they will likely agree with the average cinemagoer regarding the film’s lack of substance. While a good, but clearly dramatized portrait is painted of Barry Seal, the film does a number of its supporting characters somewhat of a disservice, simply because its structure and duration does not allow for these characters to be thoroughly fleshed out. This gives the film a shallow feel, which prevents it from rising to the greatness of The Wolf of Wall Street, but it does at least outperform the incredibly lacklustre Gold.

As such, American Made may therefore make for a perfectly entertaining trip to the cinema, but its entertainment value is rather superficial, ultimately providing nothing more than a fleeting, cinematic rush akin to the fleeting, euphoric rush associated with the substances that sealed the fate of drug smuggler extraordinaire Barry Seal.

 

Verdict: 7 out of 10

 

‘Indivisible’, aka ‘Indivisibili’ (review)

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Produced by Attilio De Razza, Pierpaolo Verga
Written and Directed by Edoardo De Angelis
Starring Angela Fontana, Marianna Fontana,
Massimiliano Rossi, Gianfranco Gallo,
Toni Laudadio, Peppe Servillo, Antonia Truppo

 

When a movie (especially an Italian movie) features offbeat elements like conjoined twins or a dwarf on a yacht suckling a stripper’s large naked breast, the immediate instinct is to label it “Fellini-esque.”   But when the latest film by director Edoardo De Angelis unveils a Christ statue suspended from a crane above the heads of a small band of religious congregants, the homage to Jesus dangling from a helicopter in La Dolce Vita seems like a clear, winking nod to an honored inspirational predecessor.

Yet despite the lightly surrealistic touches and sumptuous visuals, Indivisible‘s true cinematic links to Fellini are revealed in its distrust of the rich and powerful in general (and the Roman Catholic Church in particular) and its layered, human depictions of innocents and hustlers on the grittier side of the socioeconomic scale — including the aforementioned twins Viola and Dasy (played by real life, non-conjoined sisters Angela and Marianna Fontana).

At first, as the sweet-voiced pop angels perform duets at a confirmation party or sleep together in a single bed, it’s not clear whether the girls are just very close or literally joined at the hip — but the latter turns out to be true, a gimmick their trashy family members (and a shady local priest) are more than happy to exploit to keep smitten, superstitious audiences and parishioners hooked on the luck and blessings supposedly conveyed by touching the dual divas or hearing them sing.

However, with the onset of adulthood, rebellious Dasy is eager for emancipation, both from the manipulations of her parents (played with scuzzy Svegnali brio by Massimiliano Rossi and Antonia Truppo) as well as the inescapable connection to a sister she loves yet defines her existence to the point where she feels “locked in a cage” wherever she goes.

“But we are the cage,” sweet-natured Viola replies, heartbroken and terrified at the prospect of being separated from her lifelong soul mate, “we were born this way.”

Thus, while a doctor eventually confirms their birth “handicap” could be easily corrected (for the daunting sum of 20,000 Euros), it’s the psychological tether between Dasy and Viola, their family, and the status quo of their lives which proves more of an impediment to the sisters’ individual independence than the actual tissue and sinew which binds them together.

Likewise, though the dramatic scenario is unusual, De Angelis’s story (helped along by the luminous charm of the Fontana sisters) is nevertheless entirely relatable on a basic human level.  Moreover, the deceptively simple tall tale structure of the girls’ journey toward lives more ordinary allows for ruminations on deeper themes like humanity’s instinctive resistance to change on all levels in favor of the comfort of our own respective cages.

Indivisible is now playing in New York and Los Angeles

 

‘The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille’ (review)

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Produced by Peter Brosnan, Daniel J. Coplan

Executive producer Francesca Judge Silva
Presented by Cecelia DeMille Presley

Written and Directed by Peter Brosnan

 

Quite interesting documentary about the 30 plus years’ quest to find the remains of a massive set built for Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 version of The Ten Commandments.

The set in question was the City of the Pharaoh, which included 20 sphinxes and four 35-ton statues of Ramses.

It was built in the desert area of the central California town of Guadalupe; the production was given the okay as long as DeMille broke the set down and hauled it away after production wrapped. But, as Hollywood legend has it, the sets were NOT hauled away, simply buried in the sand.

Enter documentary filmmaker Peter Brosnan, who, in 1982, heard the legend of the buried Egyptian city and began an adventurous journey to uncover it.

Little did he know of the obstacles – and years of frustration – that lay ahead.

He figured he would just go through the proper channels by hiring an archaeologist and obtaining the proper permits.

It would not go nearly so smoothly.

Brosnan and company’s circuitous process is intercut in the film with the story behind the conception of the silent-era The Ten Commandments, the construction of the city, and the aftermath, including DeMille’s later career and his impact on filmmaking and Hollywood history.

This section of the film is revelatory for casual film buffs: the construction of the set required a tent city of incredible size to be built in the desert. This temporary town of sorts provided shelter for 2500 workers!

There’s a fascinating bit of trivia wherein DeMille is eager to film in Egypt on a later production, a notion that few in Hollywood assumed would come to fruition. Egyptian authorities, recalling DeMille’s even-handed portrayal of the Muslim characters in Commandments, granted the production permission to film there.

We also learn of the great animosity between DeMille and studio head Adolph Zukor. This and other anecdotes are related by or commented upon by descendants of DeMille and others.

A nifty bit of film – and California – history, The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille also serves as a wonderful tribute to the one and only Cecil B. DeMille.

We of course circle back to Brosnan and his (literal) digging. Far be it from me to spoil the end result, but film buffs shouldn’t need further prodding to check this doc out.

 

The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille arrives On Demand and Digital HD 10/3
For more details, visit LostCityDeMille.com

 

 

 

Clowning Around: Cinema’s Unforgettable Harlequins

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After a spotty summer at the movies, It has become a monster hit, rejuvenating the stagnant box office, giving the citizenry something better to talk about, and maybe even stirring some fright among the clown industry.

Still going strong after three weekends, the film recently surpassed 1973’s The Exorcist as the highest grossing horror movie of all time. It will assuredly exceed the $300 million mark domestically, and its final global gross will be well over half a billion dollars—not bad for a movie produced for a mere $35 million.

Movie-lovers and movie-makers alike are justifiably celebrating the film’s success, but to keep things in perspective, the numbers do not account for inflation or for the staggering difference in actual tickets sold in 1973 for The Exorcist—if the grosses are adjusted, It will need to earn over $900,000 to surpass The Exorcist’s ticket sales.

No matter; though there were a handful of deserved hits last summer, overall the season was so disappointing the moviegoing world was eager to embrace any film with a lack of capes and tights, anything without a numeral or colon in its title.

A sequel to It is officially a “go” at the studio and is scheduled for September, 2019. It’s really just an adaptation of the latter “adulthood” part of Stephen King’s massive novel, so if there were any truth in advertising or consistency in Hollywood, the official title of the current movie would be It – Part 1.

In the spirit of It and its human monster Pennywise the Dancing Clown, here’s a brief gallery of other memorable movie clowns—a cinematic insane clown posse, if you will.

 

Shakes in Shakes the Clown

Bobcat Goldthwait wrote and directed this serio-comic tale of a drunkard clown who finds himself going undercover to solve a murder mystery in which he’s implicated.

 

Grimm in Quick Change

Bill Murray is at his wriest as a fed-up Manhattanite who gets dressed up as a clown to rob a bank and skip town forever. The protracted getaway takes up the bulk of the movie, and makes for one of the most merciless “I Hate New York” comedies ever filmed.

 

Captain Spaulding in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects

Rob Zombie + Sid Haig = Scary Nightmares.

 

James Bond in Octopussy

You didn’t think I’d forget about the time Roger Moore got gussied up as a circus clown, wreaked a lot of havoc, kicked some poor schmo in the crotch with a silly oversized clown foot, and then saved the world by defusing an atomic bomb—did you?

 

The Joker in anything Batman

Take your pick of actors—Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, or Zach Galifianakis—but no matter the incarnation, the pasty-faced, Crayola-coiffed clown prince of Gotham deserves some props as the most psychotic nut inside or outside Arkham Asylum.

 

 

‘Flash Gordon Sundays: Dan Barry Volume 1 – The Death Planet’ (review)

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Flash Gordon Sundays: Dan Barry Volume 1:
The Death Planet

Writer/Artist: Dan Barry
Published by Titan Comics
ISBN-10: 1785861360
ISBN-13: 978-1785861369
Released September 26, 2017 / $49.99

If you asked any veteran comic book artist who influenced them, odds are the answer would include Alex Raymond. Raymond was a master illustrator and is considered—along with Hal Foster—one of the most swiped artists of all time, as well as one of the most influential!

Oh, and he also created Flash Gordon.

Perhaps that’s why no one ever seems to remember Dan Barry, let alone give him any credit on his own. Raymond wasn’t just a big act to follow. He was the biggest!

But now we find ourselves in what others have called the Golden Age of comic strip reprints and Dan is finally getting some credit! Raymond’s classic Flash Gordon run that began in 1934 has been reprinted endlessly. Because of those reprints, the old serials, and the late ‘70s movie, anyone familiar with the character at all would recognize the basic story of the handsome college athlete, the innocent bystander, and the crazy scientist who end up thwarting an invasion of Earth from the rogue planet Mongo. Space opera simply didn’t get any better! Even George Lucas famously acknowledged Flash as his main inspiration for Star Wars (which, itself, later inspired the big budget Flash Gordon film!).

In spite of appearances, though, the brilliant Raymond’s Flash was not the whole story. Not by a long shot! Two other legendary illustrative artists, first, Austin Briggs and, later, Mac Raboy, took over the long-running strip when Raymond went off to World War II.

Dan Barry was a young artist who already had a good, solid storytelling style when he came onboard on the daily Flash Gordon strip in 1951, a gig he would maintain—more or less—for the next four decades. In 1967, he even took over the Sundays. With that kind of longevity, it has always seemed bizarre that most of Barry’s work has remained out of print and unsung, if not entirely unknown, to the casual fan.

Britain’s Titan Books, a pioneer in comic strip reprints, has in recent years published a number of volumes of Flash Gordon from various different periods and now, with Flash Gordon Sundays: Dan Barry Volume 1—The Death Planet 1967-1971, the average fan gets to discover the joys of middle period Flash!

Is Dan Barry good? Hard to say, actually, because Barry became widely known for his use of assistants and ghost artists. This wasn’t a new thing, or even a bad thing, as the toll of turning out a new strip day after day after day, 7 days a week for years at a time has led just about every successful cartoonist (except Charles Schulz) to avail themselves of ghosts and assistants at one time or another. The important thing was the result! Was it a good strip? Or, in the case of the soap strips and adventure strips, was it a good, entertaining story?

And the answer here, is, “Oh, yeah!” The Flash we meet in this volume, more than 30 years after his debut, is a seasoned spaceman, an astronaut used to traveling around the various planets in high tech rockets and spaceships on various missions both diplomatic and military. His old friends Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov are still around but not in every story. Instead, our hero has many new friends and enemies including aliens, robots, monsters, a stereotypical Mexican comic relief sidekick, and even interstellar Soviets! Amidst a series of loosely interconnected stories about colonizing Pluto, we also deal with shape changing circus aliens, reality distortion, the storms of a dying planet, miniature humans, a fully automated world populated by robots, and giant, almost Lovecraftian monsters being awakened from centuries of frozen sleep. Four years of excitement with nary a dull moment!

The colors of these Sunday strips range from average to downright amazing! The reproduction here, with a few exceptions, is crisp and sharp, with every line of art clearly visible.

The book starts off with an introductory piece by Rick Norwood, one of today’s great experts on many classic strips. Rick details the uncredited involvement of successful science fiction author Harry Harrison—himself a former sci-fi comics artist—as the writer of stories in this volume. Harrison was in good company as some of Barry’s earlier assistants in various capacities had included Harvey Kurtzman and Frank Frazetta.

In this particular volume, although I can detect a number of different hands involved late in the book, Barry’s main ghost/assistant was Bob Fujitani, one of the great Golden Age comic book artists (The Hangman, the Flying Dutchman, and many more). Fujitani gets a fairly extensive interview here as well.

Barry, who comes across in real life as a largely unliked egotist, may not have been completely hands on for Flash Gordon at times but his nominal stewardship of the franchise for all those years led to some most enjoyable adventures that leave you—as any good book should—wanting more!

 

Booksteve Recommends!

 


Shout! Factory’s ‘Into The Night’ Collector’s Edition Arrives on Blu-ray 11/9; New Jeff Goldblum and John Landis Interviews

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Shout! Factory is headed Into The Night on November 7 with a new Blu-ray release from their Shout Select line. Into The Night [Collector’s Edition] boasts new interviews with Jeff Goldblum and John Landis, a new restored master, the award-winning documentary B.B. King Into The Night, and the original theatrical trailer, and is available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and Shoutfactory.com.

From John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), comes the perilous – and hilarious — tale of Ed Okin (Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park), an insomniac who discovers that his wife has been having an affair.

Unhappily married, unsatisfyingly employed and unsurprisingly depressed, aerospace engineer and insomniac Ed Okin needs to get away. But getting away proves to be no easy feat when Ed drives to the airport and a gorgeous smuggler, Diana (Michelle Pfeiffer), leaps his car, pursued by four murderous killers! Chased across the landscape of a “truly mythical” (Time Out) Los Angeles, Ed and Diana will encounter an endless array of intriguing nocturnal characters (played by a bevy of famous directors) and a charming English hitman (David Bowie). But will they escape their relentless pursuers? The only way to find out is by diving Into The Night!

Into The Night [Collector’s Edition] Special Features:

  • NEW Restored Master
  • NEW John Landis: “Back Into The Night”
  • NEW Jeff Goldblum: “Requiem For An Insomniac”
  • Award-Winning Documentary B.B. King Into The Night
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

 

Win ‘Game of Thrones: The Complete Seventh Season’ Digital HD!

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The record-breaking phenomenon is back with a season that proved to be well worth the wait! Action-packed from start to finish with the series’ most epic battles yet. The Digital Download release for Game of Thrones: The Complete Seventh Season includes an exclusive new “Creating the North and Beyond” featurette that takes fans behind the scenes of Jon Snow’s epic trek north of The Wall and his latest battle with the Night King’s army.

In Season 7, Daenerys Targaryen has finally set sail for Westeros with her armies, dragons and new Hand of the Queen, Tyrion Lannister. Jon Snow has been named King in the North after defeating Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards and returning Winterfell to House Stark. In King’s Landing, Cersei Lannister has seized the Iron Throne by incinerating the High Sparrow, his followers and her rivals in the Sept of Baelor. But as old alliances fracture and new ones emerge, an army of dead men marches on the Wall, threatening to end the game of thrones forever.

And we’re giving away 2 copies!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “GOT7” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Which Game of Thrones actor has been in the most number of episodes?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 October 8, 2017.

 

Stream On: What’s New To Netflix For October 2017

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zZA month of possible spooky scares and fun slasher movies, and Netflix is practically dry when it comes to genre pics for the month of October.

Unless you count Pup Star: Better 2Gether. Which I do.

Aside from the highly-anticipated second season of Stranger Things, the super fun romp of Cult of Chucky and a small smattering of assorted second-rate horror pics such as The Reaping and 13 Demons, the streaming giant has practically nothing new to offer for the month in the way of Halloween offerings. Horror hounds will have to look to Hulu for their fair share of blood and guts for the month of October.

 

OCTOBER 1

88 Minutes
“A college professor (Al Pacino), who moonlights as a forensic psychiatrist for the FBI, receives a death threat that says he has only 88 minutes to live.”

Side note: Happy 10th anniversary to the 88 Minutes web site! Visit it here.

A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song
Another second-rate Cinderella rip-off in which a Disney Channel star must battle issues at home to go to a dance.

Before Midnight
The final installment in the “Before” trilogy revisits lovers Celine and Jesse on the final days of their vacation as they spend a few hours reflecting on their lives together.

Blood Diamond
Attempt four or five of Leonardo DiCaprio to win an Oscar, this time for as a South African native attempting do good amongst the evils of the local diamond trade.

Boogie Nights
Paul Thomas Anderson’s San Fernando Valley epic that follows the trials and tribulations of Eddie Adams, aka Dirk Diggler, as he rises from busboy to porn star in the late ‘70s.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The unnecessary remake to the slightly-haunting Gene Wilder classic that renews Tim Burton’s man-crush on Johnny Depp for another few years.

Cleverman (Season 2)
“(In) the very near future, creatures from ancient mythology have suddenly emerged and must coexist with humans. Known as “Hairypeople” for the matted hair covering their bodies, they have extraordinary strength, speed and longevity but are cast as social misfits and seek refuge in The Zone: a fragile community that finds strength in the brotherhood between Hairy and human.”

Death Sentence
Kevin Bacon plays a grieving father hell-bent on a revenge after his son is slayed in a robbery gone bad. Helmed by James Wan prior to his fast cars, underwater superheroes phase.

Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Prior to just shitting out terrible parody movie after terrible parody movie, the Wayans brothers occasionally made culturally relevant and amusing films. Occasionally. Here is the proof.

Eagle vs. Shark
Waitress Lily falls for Jerk Jarrod at a costume party and a relationship ensues…despite his protests.

Eyes Wide Shut
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman explore the world of kink (or just the plain old world of marital /sex) in this final film from Stanley Kubrick.

I Love You, Man
Paul Rudd and Jason Segal are two men who discover a deep and unabiding bromance in this 2009 laugher.

Ice Guardians
Exploring one of the most controversial and provocative positions in the history of sport, ‘Ice Guardians’ journeys into the lives of those who perform what is undoubtedly the toughest job within the National Hockey League today, the enforcer.”

Lockup: Disturbing the Peace (Season 1)
“This documentary follows former Palestinian and Israeli soldiers, tired of endless war, who form a group advocating peace through nonviolent action.”

Made of Honor
A gender swap, slightly more mediocre version of My Best Friend’s Wedding with Patrick Dempsey in the Julia Roberts role.

Miss Congeniality
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Sandra Bullock proves that it doesn’t matter how good you are at your job, if you don’t look really, really hot, no one will notice you and you will never succeed. Even in the FBI.

Must Love Dogs
John Cusack and Diane Lane in a romantic comedy about Internet dating. Spoiler: No one online looks like John Cusack or Diane Lane, but there is a good chance that they are using their pictures. Probably from this movie.

Never Let Me Go
Dark noir tale that hides a secret sci-fi story of four “orphans” who grow up together in a home. Alex Garland does a fantastic job of adapting the brilliant Kazuo Ishiguro novel for the big screen. Stars Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield.

No Reservations
Bland romantic comedy in which Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a chef whose life becomes complicated by a cute orphan and handsome dude with a penis.

Penelope
A modern-day fairy tale about a family curse, a drunk James McAvoy and how the perfect accessory can make a world of difference.

PJ Masks (Season 1)
“Catboy, Owlette and Gekko are our heroes, who swoop into action at night, solving mysteries that arise during the day and on a mission to make things right for everyone in the daytime world.”

The Reaping
Hilary Swank stars in this story about God’s wrath in a small town hit by plagues.  Scored an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, so probably best to just keep skipping this one on your “What’s New” list.

Tokyo Idols
“An eye-opening film gets at the heart of a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality and internet popularity. This ever growing phenomenon is told through Rio, a bona fide “Tokyo Idol” who takes us on her journey toward fame. Now meet her “brothers”: a group of adult middle aged male super fans (ages 35 – 50) who devote their lives to following her—in the virtual world and in real life.”

Tommy Boy
Chris Farley and David Spade star in the ultimate ‘90s buddy road trip movie about a dimwitted manboy who inherits his dad’s company and does everything he can to keep it afloat.

Veronica
Mexican psychological thriller about a therapist who begins treating a shady patient whose previous doctor mysteriously disappeared.

 

OCTOBER 2

 

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
“Pioneering the journey from rhythm and blues to funk, James Brown forever changed the face of American music. Mr. Dynamite follows the journey of Brown as he escaped his impoverished Southern roots to become the biggest name in soul music, and one of the most important music talents of the 20th Century.”

Sleeping with Other People
Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star in this indie comedy about a womanizer and a cheater who try out a platonic relationship. But they are attractive people, who how long do you think that can last?

13 Demons
Gamers find out that their Dungeons & Dragons fantasy is real and now they have to vanquish demons. Think Mazes and Monsters, but without  the cool Tom Hanks reference, or the anything else fun.

Cult of Chucky
Just in time for Halloween, we have another Chucky movie! This time, most of the original cast has returned to face their demons: a two-feet plastic evil entity in a red jumper. A fun addition to the franchise.

The Survivalist
A hermit who lives off the land in the not-so-distant future finds his secluded way of life threatened when a set of ladies impede on his privacy.

 

OCTOBER 4

Raw
Julia Ducournau’s unique horror pic sheds a new light on the cannibal genre with this twisted tale of Justine, a vegan veterinarian student. After the young student is forced to eat meat for the first time during freshman hazing, she finds herself a slave to her desires, unable to control herself. A must-see for any horror fan.

 

OCTOBER 5

Bonus Family (Bonusfamiljen)  (Season 1; Netflix original)
“A new couple, their exes and their children navigate the emotional challenges and tricky logistics of blended family life in this Swedish dramedy.”

Schitt’s Creek (Season 3)
“After losing their fortune, the Rose family must relocate to their last remaining asset.” – Official site on Amazon

The Fosters (Season 5)
“The Fosters is a compelling, one-hour drama about a multi-ethnic family mix of adopted and biological teenage kids being raised by two moms.”

OCTOBER 6

ID-0  (Season 1; Netflix original series)
“In the midst of a field exercise operating I-Machines, Alliance Academy student Maya Mikuri is thrown into an entirely different kind of adventure.”

Skylanders Academy  (Season 2; Netflix original series)
“Travel the vast Skylander universe in this animated series as a ragtag group of academy graduates build trust and heart in their fight against evil.”

Suburra  (Season 1; Netflix original series)
“In 2008, a fight over land in a seaside town near Rome spirals into a deadly battle between organized crime, corrupt politicians and the Vatican.”

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (Netflix original)
“The police ruled Marsha P. Johnson’s death a suicide. This documentary challenges their claim while honoring the LGBT activist’s life and legacy.”

Word Party  (Season 3; Netflix original)
“Meet Bailey, Franny, Kip and Lulu. They’re adorable baby animals, and they want you to join the party and help them learn!”

 

OCTOBER 7

Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life

“This compelling documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story.”

NOTE: The official site has everything written is caps, like it is shouting at you.

Middle Man

“Lenny Freeman’s dream of being a famous comedian is about to become a nightmare. Not only is he stuck in a dead end accounting job, Lenny has a bigger problem — Lenny is not funny.”

 

OCTOBER 10

Christina P: Mother Inferior (Netflix original special)
“Filmed in front of a packed house at The Showbox in Seattle, Ms. P discusses the taboos of motherhood, gleefully recalls the rage she felt towards her husband while having their child, unflinchingly reminisces on growing up with a crazy mom and a dad raised to show no feelings, as well as sheds light to why she thinks people hate millennials and how Gen X survived without selfies.”

The Skyjacker’s Tale

“Ishmael Muslim Ali is the American convicted of murdering eight people on a Rockefeller-owned golf course in the US Virgin Islands. After years of trying to get his conviction overturned, he took matters into his own hands and hijacked an American Airlines plane full of passengers to Cuba on New Years Eve 1984, and got away with it. Until now.”

 

OCTOBER 11

Donnie Darko
Part John Hughes ‘80s teen melodrama, part mind-bending sci-fier with a time travel twist, Richard Kelly’s near perfect story of troubled teen Donnie Darko and his imaginary friend, giant bunny Frank is a tale that will stay with you long after the credits stop rolling. Imaginative storytelling graced with brilliant performances and a fanfuckingtastic soundtrack, Donnie Darko is a film for the ages.

 

OCTOBER 12

Kingdom of Us (Netflix original)
“As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred — born a Saxon but raised by Vikings — seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.”

Mindhunter  (Season 1; Netflix original series)
“An agent in the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit develops profiling techniques as he pursues notorious serial killers and rapists. Watch trailers & learn more.”

Super Monsters  (Season 1; Netflix original series)
“Six preschool kids whose parents are the world’s most famous monsters try to master their special powers while preparing for kindergarten.”

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Will Ferrell stars in this mock-up folk-tale about a NASCAR driver’s fall from grace. Fun, but not the funniest effort from Ferrell.

The Babysitter (Netflix original film)
“When Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot babysitter is part of a satanic cult that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet.”

The Meyerowitz Stories(New and Selected) (Netflix original film)
“Grudges and rivalries abound as three adult siblings converge in New York to contend with their prickly artist father — and his fading legacy.”

Voltron: Legendary Defender  (Season 4; Netflix original series)
“In an all-new series, five unlikely heroes and their flying robot lions unite to form the megapowerful Voltron and defend the universe from evil.”

 

OCTOBER 15

Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses
Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses is a documentary film that lifts the veil of secrecy on exorcism to reveal the extraordinary true story of how both love and fear could drive a New Zealand family to kill one of their own.” – Official site

Money
Two swindlers find that their big plans for big money are thwarted by an unexpected visitor.

OtherLife
Science-fiction pic about a new type of drug that not only expands the senses, but creates a new reality, sans fancy machines and dorky goggles.

She Makes Comics
She Makes Comics traces the fascinating history of women in the comics industry.” – Official site

 

OCTOBER 17

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (Netflix original special)
“Comedian Patton Oswalt takes the stage in Chicago to discuss the current political climate, social media angst and using humor to work through grief.”

Slasher: Guilty Party (Netflix original series)
“Rampaging serial killers leave carnage in their wake as their next victims fight to stay alive in this horror anthology series.”

 

OCTOBER 19

Wedding Unplanned
A man having an affair with a wedding planner is trapped into getting married to his g.f. when she discovers her card among his things.

 

OCTOBER 20

1922 (Netflix original film)
1922 is based on Stephen King’s 131-page story telling of a man’s confession of his wife’s murder. The tale is told from from the perspective of Wilfred James, the story’s unreliable narrator who admits to killing his wife, Arlette, with his son in Nebraska. But after he buries her body, he finds himself terrorized by rats and, as his life begins to unravel, becomes convinced his wife is haunting him.”

Haters Back Off  (Season 2; Netflix original series)
“Dive into the oddball family life of the confident yet untalented Miranda Sings as she sets out to conquer the world, one viral video at a time.”

One of Us (Netflix original)
“When three Hasidic Jews leave their ultra-Orthodox community to join the secular world, they experience ostracism, lost relationships and even danger.”

Smurfs: The Lost Village
Smurfs. Again. They find a lost village.

The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story (Netflix original)
“Mexican superstar actress Kate del Castillo reveals her untold story of the encounter with the most-wanted drug lord in the world, El Chapo.”

Wheelman (Netflix original film)
“The getaway driver in a botched robbery puts his skills and smarts to the test when he receives shocking orders from an unknown caller.”

 

OCTOBER 23

Meet the Robinsons
One of the more underrated Disney pics that truly deserves its time in the spotlight. A fun film about a boy genius and his unique family of inventors.

While We’re Young
Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play a middle age couple stuck in a rut when they meet a young couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried) whose friendship add a little oomph to their lives.

 

OCTOBER 24

The Mist (Season 1)
The Stephen King series that came and went in a blink of an eye. Based on the novella of the same name.

 

OCTOBER 25

The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino turns in his Hanzo sword for a Peacemaker with this epic little Western featuring Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth and a horribly racist Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The Final Master
A Wing Chun master must defeat a handful of martial arts schools if he wishes to open up his own school. Apparently, open teaching positions are hard to come by in that district.

 

OCTOBER 26

Strange Weather
Holly Hunter plays a grieving mother who goes to confront her deceased son’s former friend on a possible stolen idea.

 

OCTOBER 27

Stranger Things (Season 2; Netflix original series)
“When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.”

The lovely little sci-fier that launched a thousand Halloween costumes and gave Eggos a much needed boost in the highly-competitive breakfast pastry market.

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (Netflix original special)
“Acclaimed filmmaker Griffin Dunne explores the extraordinary life of his aunt, Joan Didion, one of the most influential American writers alive today.”

 

OCTOBER 28

Pup Star: Better 2Gether
All the drugs in Hollywood got together and made this movie for you.

Here. I gift you with this trailer:

 

OCTOBER 30

Judah Friedlander: America Is The Greatest Country In The United States (Netflix original special)
“In this special, I mostly satirize American Exceptionalism, including U.S. domestic & foreign policy. It’s a comedy about racism, sexism, imperialism, climate change, health care, LGBTQ rights, fascism, drones, and mass incarceration.”From Judah Friedlander’s official site

 

OCTOBER 31

Zumbo’s Just Desserts  (Season 1; Netflix original series)
“Australia’s very own Willy Wonka Adriano Zumbo and acclaimed British chef Rachel Khoo go in … Who will be named the Zumbo’s Just Desserts champion?”

Win ‘Wizard of Lies’ on Blu-ray!

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In 2008, stockbroker, investment adviser and financier Bernie Madoff made headlines around the world when he was arrested for perpetrating the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. HBO Films’ The Wizard of Lies chronicles the events that led up to Madoff’s admission and the devastating aftermath.

Starring two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff and three-time Oscar nominee Michelle Pfeiffer as his wife Ruth, this HBO Films drama dissects the events that led to the Wall Street financier’s stunning downfall in December 2008 for defrauding investors of over $65 billion in the most infamous Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. Directed by Oscar-winner Barry Levinson, The Wizard of Lies vividly recounts Madoff’s audacious deceptions that culminated in his vilification while catapulting his wife and two sons into a harsh and unrelenting spotlight, with tragic consequences.

And we’re giving away a copy on Blu-ray!

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

This was the fourth time that DeNiro and Pfeiffer co-starred together.  What was the first?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 October 8, 2017.

 

All Your Base Are Belong To Us

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When broken down into their purest form, there are essentially only two main types of games; linear objectives and those that focus on protecting or returning to bases.

Whatever you call them – bases, headquarters, safe-rooms, hills, goals – they are constructs which gamers devote an almost irrational amount of selflessness toward. Who hasn’t given their own life in-game to protect the sanctity of a team base being defiled by the opposition with a gung-ho “I’m gonna die but I’m taking you with me” attitude?

And yes, I know I’m adhering to the clichéd mantle of “there are two main types of…” idea, which I usually detest and know is easily refutable, but having thought about it long and hard I’m surprised to find that at their crux, there really are two types of video games. Hear me out first before you rush to the comments section to berate me. I mean, this is the internet so that may well happen anyway but in all seriousness, I’ve genuinely struggled to think of any other types.

It’s not just modern games that adhere to this pattern, even the original ground zero game, Pong arguably has a base, you are essentially protecting a ball with a paddle in the same way you might protect a base or deflect a goal in a football game (sorry, it always feels weird to write the word ‘soccer’ as a Brit).

Let’s start with the most obvious example, the base that you are given. Most first person shooter games have either an objective mode or online multiplayer mode which requires the capturing or protection of a very open, easily pregnable structure. Think about capture the flag modes in titles like Overwatch or Halo or just about every online multiplayer first person shooter ever. I’ve been known to attach many a plasma grenade to myself in order to take out my dastardly blue team rivals.

Then we have the base we have a semblance of control over, the one we create, design and move. Games like Fallout 4 and several real-time strategy titles. Crafting your own settlement or workshop is a relatively new feature in the Fallout franchise and yet, I have spent countless hours cultivating my own brand of wasteland chic decor to contrast my heavy turret defence systems.

I become furious whenever I miss a notification that one of my settlements is under attack or turn up after the damage has already been done, so much so that I will reload earlier saves in order to defend my precious mutfruit crops and collection of rusty power armour parts!

After all, these settlements become sanctuaries where you can rest, restock and get hassled by the inhabitants to take on those sweet, sweet side missions that definitely don’t distract me from the main story.

Minecraft is another perfect example of this, you spend hours crafting and diligently gathering materials to create the perfect abode, there’s no way you’re going to let some mindless zombies ruin your work or be outwitted by a creeper out to destroy your magnificent creation. Designing and making a base is absolutely necessary in a game like this, in fact there are countless world building games. The Sims, Age of Empires, the Sid Meier’s Civilization games, Sim City and even titles such as Zoo Tycoon are just some of these and focus primarily on creating bases or building the world up around us.

Bases aren’t always buildings, however, and can often take the form of something as simple as a post or line. Almost every single team sports game is about breaching some form of base which is highly protected. The goal posts in FIFA (insert literally any year here) or Pro Evolution Soccer titles, the end zones in Madden NFL games or the hoops in literally any basketball game. These are all fundamentally bases that you must protect and shame on you if you accidentally score an own goal.

Finally we have the safe room, the hallowed place we come back to in order to hide or catch our breath. These are most commonly found in RPGs and survival horror titles such as Resident Evil. Defying the rules of the game world (that nowhere is safe, especially if enemies are nearby) these bases are not a place to defend but a sacred place where you are protected. It’s the base that protects you…temporarily, until you recoup and regain your composure, it’s just a door and yet that fragile, wooden rectangle fills you will a sense of calm. Well, that is unless you’re playing Left 4 Dead and a Tank rips it clean off it’s hinges. In which case, you’re screwed and it was nice knowing you.

Looking through the titles I often play and those that I have on my shelf, there is an interesting mix of linear and base-related games. But which type of gamer are you? Are you the type of nomadic individual who roams the open planes looking for new milestones on the horizon? Or are you the rooted type who always seeks out the comfort of a home-away-from-home? Check your gaming collection. You might just be surprised.

P.S. I apologise for the incredibly dated meme title…but, it had to be done because…reasons.

 

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