Happy Thanksgiving!

Best scene from Dexter ever?And quite appropriate for the day.

Why Twilight Can Be A Positive Thing

All you read and hear about lately is "Breaking Dawn"the newest film in the "Twilight"series.It has made a ton of money in it's first weekend,everywhere you turn it's being reviewed and promoted,etc.This Twilight phenomenon may be the most polarizing of any popular fiction series(book,or film),ever.It's supporters LOVE it,and everyone else hates it.I personally only having seen the first film,tend to side with the haters,I felt it was a weak story filled with boring characters and Vampires that sparkle when hit with light,as opposed to,oh I don't know...exploding in agony?

So why am I wasting time on this?Heres why."Twilight"can be a good thing,a gateway drug of sorts.If you haven't noticed,it seems in my experience that only women seem to enjoy this series.And yes,it mainly hinges on the romantic elements of the story,but this is also deeply rooted in the Fantasy/Horror genre.Maybe,the interest can lead to trying new things that these same women who never would have read a book about werewolves can move onto.There are plenty of females who are into SciFi,comics,etc,but overall it's a sausage party.Whats wrong with letting them enjoy this series,maybe it would lead that same woman into buying a comic.If Stephanie Meyer wrote a "Twilight"series for comics,I guarantee  you would see comic shops suddenly inundated with females who would have never stepped foot into one.It doesn't mean they would buy anything else,but the door has been opened.

I guess in the end I'm trying to see a positive in this craze.I don't understand it,but I don't have to,it's not for me.I don't know Team Edward from Team Jacob,but what I do know is when a series can cause this amount of passion in fans and get people reading it is nonetheless a good thing.I would like to meet one fan who is a male though.

Who For Xmas

After last year's phenomenal reimagination of "A Xmas carol",the Who Xmas special this year looks to channel some Narnia.I still have to watch the second half of season 6....

Chopping Block

It's Over Frank!

Mavel has cancelled a few titles,including Black Panther,Iron Man 2.0,X23 and Ghost Rider.PunisherMax was not cancelled but is ending with issue 22.I love PunisherMax,it truly is one of my favorite books on the market.Ghost Rider has been interesting butthe cancellation is not surprising,although I figured they would leave it alone until at least after the movie sequel comes out in February.Black Panther essentially took Daredevil's spot in the old DD series,and that so far has been extremely hit or miss.Out of all the books to garner a relaunch,this one will probably be first,reestablishing T'Challa as king of Wakanda,and not a street level vigilante.

Also given the slip were Alpha Flight and the Victor Von Doom series before it even came out.Take that Doom.

Assemble!

Looks like the gangs all here.....May 4th 2012

30 Second Movie Review:Red State

Kevin Smith.Sounds like George Lucas if you say it fast enough.Both started off with instant smash success stories(of differing magnatude),both had trouble venturing out of their comfort zones and both have done much more to piss off the common fanboy in the last few years than to build on their early work.

I do think Kevin Smith has a good ear for a certain kind of dialogue,and I count some of his films as very good.I was very curious about "Red State" when I first heard about it,because it was originally billed as Smith as his attempt at straight up horror.Coming from a guy who barely ever ventures past the genre of stoner buddy film,I was not sure what to expect.

"Red State"is better than I expected,and builds some real tension in the first half.The story follows an extreme fundamentalist preacher and his flock,the kind who go to a gay kids funeral with "Burn In Hell"signs.We meet a trio of high school kids who get entagled in the Church of the Five Points path and spend a horrifying night fighting for their lives.Michael Parks who plays the preacher spits his dialogue with a serpent's tongue and slimes up the screen whenever on.About halfway through John Goodman is introduced as an ATF agent sent to the Church's compound,and we are then plotted along to a Waco style raid and firefight.Goodman seems a bit lost in the role,and his character is written as a man who wants to do the right thing,but has his own interests to worry about.It gives him a sense of conflict,but he wavers easily back and forth.

The last fifteen minutes nearly takes a supernatural right turn,and to Smith's credit,he dodged a bullet with the choices he does make in the end.The film spends too much time at the end trying to shove down our throats that the U.S. Government and it's tactics are as bad as,if not worse than homosexual murdering zealots,and that gets old quick.Not because I don't believe that Government isn't corrupt,but Smith almost seems like he spends so much time setting up the Church members as truly evil,and then wants us to almost sympathize with them.Sure they are not evil in their minds,but they surely are.

I give this film 3 stars and Kevin Smith gets some credit for trying something new.

Appetite For Continuation

I am listening to "Appetite For Destruction",the debut album from Guns N Roses and it just hit me...Imagine if THIS band on THIS album had managed to keep the momentum.I know most of the same guys stayed through the mediocre "Illusion" follow up albums,but they definetly lost the magic by then.

This record is ground breaking and helped change the face of music as we know it.Here we are 25 plus years later and it still sounds like a punch to the gut,true Rock and Roll.Meanwhile the band imploded and exploded and although there is a current version still plugging along,we all know its just Axl's solo project,and it pales in comparison.

Every once in a while a band comes along and does something incredible.This album is one of those.Imagine a world where these guys could have kept it together and kept putting records like this out.At least we still have this one reminder of a better time in music to keep us going.

Musical Interlude:The Mars Volta

I can listen to this song all day long,too bad the album version is 13 minutes long,I would'nt accomplish much else.

Conventioneering

Last weekend was the second Albany Comic Con of the year,and it was a good time.Here is some of the odds and ends of stuff picked up.

JM Dematteis was there,and I got a chance to talk to him,very nice guy.I told him how much I loved his early 2000s "Spectre"series and he was appreciative,saying how much he loved doing that series.I bought the first 50 cent comic he wrote that I could find in the bins for his autograph,and this is the first one I found.

I don't generally buy Cap back issues as I am currently not trying to fill a run,but this cover jumped out at me,and for a buck I could'nt say no.

Bat #450,great Joker cover.all for a quarter.

I have been slowly working on filling the old '70s and early '80s GR series,got about five issues in Albany.

Still looking for the elusive Silent issue of Joe,had it as a kid and lost it.Here is #18 to help fill some more lost treasures.

April of next year for the next Albany show,already looking forward to it.

30 Second Movie Review:Real Steel

You ever feel like a movie snob?You know,where you can't imagine watching what you would consider brain rotting dreck,just because it looks like it only appeals to 11 year olds?When films like "Inception"and other high concept,well made films are out there,who has time for the films crafted by lesser talents and aimed towards kids?

Well "Real Steel"made me feel that way.I promised to take my friend's son to see it,and I kind of dreaded it.I like Hugh Jackman,but the idea of Rock em Sock em robots in the future seemed lame to me.Then the film started and it did something I didn't expect.It had characters I cared for,it had a simple yet driving plot and it hit all the right emotional cues.Jackman plays a washed up boxer in a future where the sport is now played with giant robots.His 11 year old son ends up in his custody for the summer and they work the boxing circuit together,while both their relationship strengthens and their 'bot rises in the ranks.Dakota Goyo plays the son and is a fine young actor,look out for this kid.

The lesson learned is that sometimes a trailer to a film can fool you,I would easily give this film 4 stars,partially due to the quality,and partially due to the surprise factor.