I had to take a moment here to plug some new power metal that I’m really diggin’ at the moment! The new Elvenking album recently dropped and just as I was getting ready to write them off completely as a weak ass emo band, they bring us a super tuff new album in form of ‘The Pagan Manifesto’. The Italian band started out back in 1997 as a rad folk/power metal band and through the years shifted their style to something much more mainstream, even changing their look to something more like an emo mall metal band. They got some shit for their shift in appearance and sound, but now here they are in 2014 bringing back the fantasy themed metal the way it should sound when you’re fighting a vicious band of orcs on a trail in a wicked dungeon!
It’s funny because in my D&D group we always play power metal stuff like, Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden & Rhapsody when we do battle-yeah cheezy I know, but it really does get the blood pumping and the natural twenties rollin’! If you play D&D give it a shot-your PC’s will dig it. Anyway, Elvenking has several awesome albums, like Heathreel, Wyrd & The Winter Wake. Check these guys out if you’re jonesin’ for some good catchy fantasy metal-here’s their latest video, my guess is that the band got hardcore into Game of Thrones and decided it was time to bring back the fantasy!
I am thoroughly bummed out that “Lessons Learned“, the short film by Toby Froud somehow slipped through my radar here undetected! Being a huge fan of Both Labyrinth & The Dark Crystal this film is on my must see list and Mr. Froud I find also lives right here in Portland, Oregon! Now that’s not even the most interesting part, Toby is kind of a legendary guy, his parents created the puppets and landscapes of The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth, but get this, he also starred in Labyrinth as the legendary baby that David Bowie kidnaps!!
So these days he lives in Pdx and works on puppets at Laika Studios on movies like Paranorman and the upcoming Box Trolls. Most recently however he’s completed his epic puppet short film, “Lessons Learned”, which was funded on Kickstarter. Now the film is complete and screenings are popping up. The movie looks pretty awesome & it really looks like it takes place in the same universe as The Dark Crystal!
So check out this trailer for the film which he teamed with Heather Henson (Jim Henson’s Daughter)! I think if he could follow this up with a feature length film, in the same vein it would excite legions of people all over the world. Lessons Learned will screen again as part of the Portland Film Festival in August. For those not in Portland, it has been selected as part of FilmQuest in Salt Lake in July, and will possibly play at festivals elsewhere pending acceptance.
I just checked out the long awaited trailer for a movie I’ve been pumped about for quite some time time now, Harbinger Down! If you follow my blog at all you’ve probably heard me complaining a lot about CGI and how there aren’t nearly enough movies these days that utilize rad practical monster effects like they used to back in the 1980’s. Well Alec Gillis at Studio ADI announced a while back that he planned on making a full on monster movie utilizing all practical effects only using CG to eliminate things like rods or wires.
You see a while back they made a prequel to the classic John Carpenter Monster flick “The Thing” and Gillis and his crew were hired to do the special effects, they were told to use all practical monster effects to keep the same vibe as the 1982 classic. They went hard to work and filmed much of the movie with the effects but at the last minute the studio changed their mind, and CG’d over all of there work, claiming that people these days like their movies to look more like modern video games. The movie was bashed by fans of the original and did little at the box office. So here is Alec Gillis’ response to what happened to them, a movie that bears some resemblance to the premise of The Thing, as if him and his crew is giving the fans the movie that they were hoping for in The Thing prequel. So take a look at the trailer, this one is on the top of my list!!
Just read Outcast #1 last night, the new series by Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman which is something that I’ve been quite curious about now for a while. As my interest in The Walking Dead has been waning steadily over the last couple years I’ve often wondered if Kirkman has just lost his touch or perhaps has just run out of good ideas to make the series as compelling as it once was. So Outcast I figured really could have went either way. It turns out that the first Issue of Outcast is pretty damn awesome! Within reading the first few pages (of the 48 page comic book priced at $2.99) I could tell I was in for a real treat.
First let me say that the artwork by Paul Azaceta is excellent and is perfect for the dark dismal tone of the story, instantly drawing me in before having a clue as to what’s brewing in the pages ahead. Without giving too much away I’d say that this one follows the story of a man who’s life has been affected by “demonic possessions” in nearly every way imaginable. Which has lead to many people, even family members labeling him a dangerous outcast of society. The main character Kyle Barnes lives a depressing life alone in a dark run down house seemingly almost cut off from the world outside. We get glimpses as the story moves as to why this man has become a hermit but we also realize that he’s not alone entirely as he’s asked by a local priest to come help him with a boy he believes is possessed by the devil. This sheds some light into his past as it’s clear that we know it’s no coincidence that Barnes was sought out.
Kirkman does an incredible job at drawing you in to this man’s life and makes you want more answers with every turn of the page. The comic book is also often times very frightening, which can be a tough thing to pull off in this medium these days. I’m certain that this series is going to be the next big thing, issue #1 is jam packed with enough mystery, scares, beautiful artwork and intense drama to have me eagerly awaiting issue #2! I suggest that you run out to your local comic book shop and grab this one, you’ll be kicking yourself in the ass if you don’t. Nice work Kirkman, I wasn’t sure you still had it in you!
The Interview, Seth Rogan’s & James Franco’s new upcoming comedy has made huge headlines as it’s pissed off the dim witted manchild Kim Jong Un causing him to declare the movie as an “act of war” if it is released! This is clearly a whole heap of ridiculous BS going here. Not to mention it sounds like the ultimate PR stunt, Kim is totally hyping the shit out of this movie by exploding into a child like tantrum-perhaps he’s in on the gag? In any event on the off chance that the little guy is really serious about his threats, the whole thing just kind of stinks. When I first caught wind of the movie’s trailer it kinda bummed me out. It made me wonder which of these guys were actually more idiotic, Rogan & Franco or Lil’ Kim?!
To me this movie/hype isn’t helping ease any tensions in the world. Franco & Rogan have in my opinion lost their charm some time ago, they kind of embody the pompous, cocky, spoiled American that a good portion of the rest of the world seems to think we are here. I technically should have loved “This is the End”, their apocalyptic comedy released a couple years ago, however, watching that whole crew of actors in that flick had me rolling my eyes at just how ridiculously awesome these guys think they are today. I think, they’ve gotten a little too big for their britches these days. Then reading the comments sections on the news stories online about their new movie “The Interview” from fellow Americans made me kinda sick to my stomach. It seems like the ol’ “Bring it on” mentality is back in effect, here in the USA as people don’t really seem to care at all about the tensions of the world increasing.
So as I agree that Kim Jong Un is a total piece of trash dictator who needs to go, I also see that Seth Rogan and James Franco right now seem like two cocky Americans hiding out in Hollywood having made a movie that taunts a potentially dangerous real life dictator, not really considering the gravity of their actions. Yeah it’s an interesting concept for a movie, but it doesn’t help this completely messed up world that’s far too full of war and violence at this point. The whole situation really isn’t that funny is it? I don’t think there’s anything funny about war or the possibility of war. Now I’ll say this too, I haven’t seen the movie, and perhaps I could be completely wrong about it’s content and message. Hell, this movie just might change things and who knows maybe Lil’ Kim will even get a kick out of it? I guess it remains to be seen, but so far the trailer has just made the world an even more scary place for the time being. It’s a sad world when the USA’s best diplomat to North Korea is Dennis Rodman….
Savage Hulk is a series I have been waiting for a long time and finally yesterday it graced the shelves of comic book shops everywhere. I have been seriously missing me some Hulk by way of new comic books lately. The last few Hulk titles have been pretty forgettable. I usually start off buying the first few issues and then well just don’t really end up giving a shit what happens next. That’s a problem I seem to be running into more and more with Marvel titles these days.
So here we have Savage Hulk #1 which is a pretty decent first issue and pretty cool as it ties in directly with an old X-men / Hulk storyline from 1970. So what we have here is a full on old school Hulk story, which is a breath of fresh air. We’ve got some great artwork as well by veteran artist Alan Davis, a favorite of mine in the 1980’s, which make this book even more legit. We’ve also got the X-Men in their old school 70’s costumes and The Leader in his old purple suit and my favorite look for him, his big long ass head! We also have a great alternate cover by Alex Ross which is downright amazing…
I think this series is headed for some fun, I’m not sure if they’re going to follow the old school story types but I’m kinda hoping they do. There’s a ton of fun in an old school Hulk story that’s been missing from a lot of the current stuff. So I’ll be back for issue #2 as it looks like we’re going to get some Abomination action as well. Savage Hulk is a solid start, but it by no means is gonna blow your mind as the story is very simple as we basically have the Hulk on the run from the Hulkbusters, Professor X determined to help free Banner of The Hulk and The Leader determined to screw up everyone’s plan. It’s also nice because we haven’t over the years really seen the X-men and the Hulk cross paths as much as they should. It also made me realize that The Leader and Professor X are perfect arch rivals, I hope we get to see them square off in a battle of the minds! So Hulk fans go check this one out!
I stumbled upon this cool new toy line which met it’s Kickstarter goal recently and these action figures look pretty awesome! These monsters are based on urban legends such as The Mothman, The Jersey Devil & Chupacabra.
Each set includes a monster, victim, diorama base and eyewitness account. It’s a pretty neat idea and the they could really go crazy with all of the other creatures out there obviously Bigfoot, Nessie, Montauk Monster, the Wendigo ect ect.
The possibilities are endless! Anyway these cool toys called The Legendary Monsters are available from Nevermore Toys. It looked like they had a Slender Man toy in production as well, but right now that seems like it could be a little to controversial.
Either way check out the Kickstarter page, it has a ton of cool info on it!
It seems that Mark Ruffalo has revealed that a new stand alone Hulk movie may in fact be coming sooner than we’ve all expected. It’s been a fact that Marvel hasn’t been confident that The Hulk has what it takes to be a smash hit on the same levels as Iron Man, Cap or Thor. They’ve already given the green guy two attempts and they’ve left viewers underwhelmed at the results. Personally I can’t say I’m a fan of the first one and the second one was passable, but as the full on Hulk fanatic that I am it didn’t quench my gamma thirst. His third appearance in The Avengers was by far the best, Ruffalo did an excellent job as Banner and finally Hulk looked real enough for me to not talk a bunch of shit here about him.
So what the hell is the problem here? It seems to me The Incredible Hulk should be an easy sell! I’ve been reading the hulk comic books since I was a little kid and it doesn’t seem like rocket science is involved to craft an awesome Hulk storyline! Seriously folks the Hulk and his stories should be simple and fun. There’s really no need to over think things. Perhaps that’s what the problem has been on each outing thus far? I think a great Hulk film should be jam packed with action, some cool villains and a somewhat simplistic plot. There should be equal Banner time/ Hulk time, you can’t really have too much of either or you’ll bore people with too much mindless action or too much screen time for the actor portraying Banner who thinks he deserves more face time.
Another thing that they should stop is trying to string the old 70’s series into the plot. That worked well back in the day because it was an ongoing television series and having Banner on the run was always quite intriguing. Plus Bill Bixby was a pitch perfect Banner and they need to stop trying to recreate his magic. Now if they were going to continue on with the rumored Guillermo Del Toro Hulk tv series that may be a different story altogether. However in a stand alone movie lets bring on a solid adventure for the green guy that’s fresh and not trying to rehash his Ferrigno days.
Another problem I believe with the movies, and I know many will disagree, is that it’s a hard thing for a live action movie to be driven by an entirely computer generated character who merely roars and grunts. Lou Ferrigno’s Hulk worked so well because he was REALLY there on screen acting and interacting with other people in all of his green paint and glory. He was real and you could feel real emotion there. So today trying to get the same results is very difficult with a CG lead character. Even in the Iron Man movies, much of the actual imagery of Iron Man was fully CG, however we always got those close ups of Tony Stark’s face in the armor, reminding us that yes, Iron Man is a real person. No matter how much you love modern CG it’s still poses problems for generating real characters with real emotion.
One solution to some of the Hulk’s big screen problems could be solved with giving the Hulk more intelligence, like he has often times in the comic books. Rather than just having him growl and roar, let Banner gain some control and let The Hulk speak. He can still in the heat of battle lose his cool and go into full on “Hulk Smash” angry toddler tantrum mode. But once a fully raging computer generated Hulk who can’t speak dominates the majority of screen time things the viewer is bound to disconnect a bit . So hopefully the next Hulk will have more going on in the noggin.
Finally pick some good supporting characters from the Hulk’s rich comic history. Let’s see Doc Samson with his green locks, let’s explore She-Hulk and add some Rick Jones into the mix! Most important let’s get some good villains into the mix. The Leader would be amazing and he’d also be a big enough baddie to cross over into an Avengers movie. Or how about The Absorbing Man, The Wrecking Crew, The Gremlin, The U-Foes or better yet Modok!? I’ve been itchin’ to see a big screen Modok for years and this would be the perfect platform to do so! I’m thinking the “Ms. Modok” storyline from the 80’s Incredible Hulk #286-290 would be terrifying on the big screen!
I’m also open to some classic Hulk stories, “Planet Hulk/World War Hulk” has been talked about quite a bit but might require too much set up, “Dogs of War” from 2001 would be a good one, but a good classic storyline could be from The Incredible Hulk mid 1980’s where Banner seemingly controls the Hulk. He even dresses like him for the first time (which was pretty funny) but later loses control and is cast off to a different dimension by Doctor Strange, these issues served as the actual inspiration for the Planet Hulk story many years later.
So my final thoughts are, though it might be difficult to pull of a simple, awesome Hulk adventure on the big screen I’m more than excited for them to give it another go. I felt Ruffalo did such a great job in the Avengers that I think the next Hulk movie is bound to be a hit. People clearly want it and if they don’t over think it, it’ll be the Hulk flick we’ve always dreamed of..
What a perfect day to share this rad music video by The Menzingers for their song “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” ! This is a pretty great song and the video is probably one of my faves of all time! Totally brilliant and hilarious concept for a music video by Portland Oregon’s own Whitey Mcconaughy! This seriously puts Jason in a new light and if you’re a Friday the 13th fan you gotta check this shit out!!
Yesterday was Wednesday and as usual I bought a few new funny books! Here’s what I though of ’em!
Manifest Destiny #7, Image/Skybound What else can I say here about this comic book? It’s could be my fave title at the moment-the first story arc was a great and it’s now in trade paperback form so I suggest checking it out ASAP! This title gives me similar feelings of when I first got hooked on The Walking Dead! Issue #7 continues the adventures of Lewis & Clark as they continue up river on boat with cast of crew members who’re truly creepy in their own right. We’ve got Lewis trying to keep his monstrous discoveries a secret and a new female crew member who’s discovered his private journal entries. It doesn’t take long though for things to get crazy again as their boat become stuck on on something strange which signifies that these guys are in for more monster mayhem in the woods! The book is fresh as hell and the artwork is awesome-this books popularity is rising quickly and the first six issues are going for a pretty penny already on Ebay-now’s the time to jump on board as you can read seven straight issues without having to wait months between!
Abe Sapien #13, Dark Horse Abe Sapien’s ongoing solo series has been pretty interesting so far. It’s always bizarre and keeps getting darker in tone with every issue. Abe’s recently went through some transformations recently becoming more monster in appearance than man. This issue encourages new readers to jump on board as a good starting point. We see Abe still traveling across an apocalyptic wasteland with an odd woman whom he found chained up inside a weirdly ravaged house. They run into some strangers who’s son has half transformed into frog man monster, seeking the powers of a healer who supposedly lives close by. Abe’s still trying to prove to himself and world that he himself is in no way connected to the most recent events of monster outbreaks that have occurred in major cities. This series continues to intrigue me as does almost everything in the Hellboy universe. I’m still trying to catch up on all the thick rich back stories that all seem to connect in some way. This issue also features some pretty spectacular artwork and an additional Abe Sapien back up story-so you most definitely get your money’s worth! Anyone looking for a good creepy comic book with heavy Lovecraft influence should check this title out!Walking Dead #128, Image Ok, first let me clarify that I’m really not a huge fan of this book anymore, it used to be my favorite title. I wasn’t a fan of “All Out War” and this continues the story a couple years after those events. The whole gang has been hanging out with Rick in their picture perfect community but of course we still have the annoying Negan involved as he’s being held captive trying to make friends with Carl secretly. We have a new group of people who enter the community and of course no one truly trusts each other. Carl wants to move out of Rick’s place. It’s really more of the same shit we have been reading for the past couple years or so. Man, this book needs a serious kick in the ass. But it just keeps going and it really doesn’t cover too much new ground. There’s not a lot of adventure to be had in The Walking Dead anymore, they kinda just like staying in the same place, no matter what and pretending that they’re rebuilding the world single handedly. However they still have zero clue what is going on in the rest of the world, nor does anyone seem to care. They have no idea what caused the outbreak, and they don’t seem to care. They really haven’t traveled all that far, they just blindly accept that the whole world is fucked and continue with their repetitive daily operation. Maybe Rick just wants be the leader of the world? Maybe he fears finding others and losing his say in how everything always goes down? I think a lot about how this title could be a top notch adventure still and all the different scenarios they could face, yet it just keeps doing more of the same old shit. I’m really at this point keeping up with the story because I’ve made it this far. I really do miss the old days of this book when the group was on the move and constantly entering into the unknown…..
Universal Dork 