10 Things I've Done that You (Probably) Haven't

For the record, I blatantly stole this idea from fellow blogger Teresa Jusino who in turn stole it from someone else. As Teresa puts it, it's not stealing, it's "being inspired" by.

So here's a list of 10 random things I've done that I would think you haven't. Feel free to comment, add your own list, etc...

1. Ran fan-interference for The Misfits before a concert.

2. Went to a rockabilly concert with Brian O'Halloran.

3. Threw away an autographed photo of Steven Spielberg because I was mad that it wasn't signed by E.T.

4. Been punched and horribly bruised by a 2 time martial arts hall of fame inductee and MMA fighter.

5. Went shopping for action figures at Target with Jason Mewes.

6. Been stared down by a full grown wolf in the wild from less than 10 feet away.

7. Played Rock Band with Tony Todd.

8. Received a Hallowe'en card from the High Priest of the Church of Satan.

9. Stood at the helm of The Edinburgh Trader from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

10. Survived an exploding gas furnace from less than a foot away.

Amazing Gear Ring from Kinekt Design

If anyone is wondering what to get me this Holiday season, this awesome steampunk/gear ring is it!



Head to the Kinekt Design website for more info and to purchase.

The REAL Green Lantern Trailer Hits the Net

I was jazzed when Entertainment Tonight released some Green Lantern footage a few days ago but now.... wow!

A new spanish subtitled trailer has leaked to the web and it is amazing! Sinestro! Hector Hammond! I'm in fanboy Heaven right now.

Must. Go. Squee.

Just watch!

Green Lantern Movie Teaser (video)

The first footage from the upcoming Green Lantern movie staring Ryan Reynolds is finally online courtesy of a teaser commercial from Entertainment Tonight!

You don't get to see Sinestro (which is what I was keeping a keen eye out for) but you do get a brief glimpse at the poozer-maker himself... Kilowog!

Check it out in all its glory below!

What are your thoughts? Me? I'm pretty darn impressed!

Update: I said Sinestro's not in this teaser but I think that may be a quick glipse around the 7 second mark. I guess I'll have to wait for a higher res version to be sure.

This Retro Poster for Pee Wee's Big Adventure Rocks!

Check out this AMAZING retro poster for Pee Wee's Big Adventure from artist Mark Welser...

Then, after you're done basking in the awesome, head over to Mark's Etsy page to see more retro posters.

Also: follow Pee Wee Herman himself on Twitter!

Top 5 Halloween Themed Movies

Happy Hallowe'en, intrepid reader! In case you haven't already selected your creepy movie list to watch today, I now offer my top 5 Hallowe'en themed movies.

Instead of selecting my top 5 horror films to watch around Hallowe'en (that may be a list coming next year), I picked 5 movies that were set on or around the year's best holiday and that give off a vibe that I think fits the season.

So, without further ado...

5. Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Originally, the Halloween series was intended to be a different story with each release and not just be about Michael Myers until the studios released Halloween III and the public screamed for more Myers. Now, because of that, I know there are a lot of naysayers around this single entry in the series that doesn't feature the iconic slasher. It does, however, capture the feeling of excitement and dread around the holiday with a cheesy zesto that can't be denied. The story revolves around the giant conglomerate Silver Shamrock Company who is planning to kill tons of people via magical Hallowe'en masks. Plus... it has one of the most catchy Hallowe'en tunes ever put to film. "No more days 'til Hallowe'en... Sil... ver... Shamrock!"

4. Night of the Demons

It's Hallowe'en night and a bunch of kids have decided to skip out on the "popular" party and instead head to the supposedly haunted Hull House for a party hosted by the high school's resident creepy girl, Angela.

Angela has a seance planned to see if she can contact the spirits in the abandoned funeral home. Sure... what can go wrong there?

The movie is a cliched, gorey, and twisted ride through everything that I think makes Hallowe'en so great. It's got demons, candy, a haunted house, trick-or-treaters, girls in skimpy outfits and kids messing with all the spooky things that they shouldn't.

It's sheer Hallowe'en cheesy fun!

3. Monster House

Why is a kids' movie on this list? It may be animated but it's still one of the best horror stories put to film in recent years. DJ and his pals think the house across the street is haunted and one Hallowe'en night decide to find out once and for all. It's a great flick for the whole family! And even better... it's actually scary!

2. John Carpenter's Halloween

It's sad that I feel the need to call this Carpenter's Halloween but I definitely don't want it confused with that atrocity from Rob Zombie. Since it's release in 1978, the white-masked Michael Myers has haunted many Halloween nightmares. This masterpiece was, for many years, THE essential Hallowe'en-themed movie until...

1. Trick 'r Treat

This little horror flick slipped under the radar after taking for.ev.er. to actually be released! It's got all the tricks and treats that anyone could ever want for Hallowe'en. It's a throwback to the anthology horrors of the mid-80s but with the twist that they're told in an out-of-order Tarantinoesque style. It's got ghosts, goblins, slashers, murder, vampires, werewolves, jack-o-lanterns, psycho-kids, trick-or-treaters smashing pumpkins. If you associate it with Hallowe'en, it's probably in this movie. Heck... there's even a Charlie Brown reference! If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it tonight.

As an added Hallowe'en treat, here's the short animated film that my #1 pick was based on...

Seasons Greetings!

Poe's The Raven Narrated by Q

Hallowe'en approaches! What better way to celebrate than with a little Poe?

That it's a brilliantly creepy rendition of The Raven by John de Lancie (Star Trek: TNG's Q) doesn't hurt either.

Turn down the lights, close your eyes and enjoy the fear!

 

Buy a Calendar for Charity and Help KNTR

My pal Bone McGraw (aka Kris) and some of his friends have created a calendar that they're selling to raise cash for various charities.

Recently, Bone came to me and asked if I'd help to promote the calendar and maybe provide a picture (I'm Mr. August BTW). I agreed on the grounds that he give some of the proceeds to my favorite charity: Kids Need to Read. Bone agreed and, if he sells at least 1000 copies, he will donate $500 to KNTR.

So check out the calendar below and help out some great causes!

September 11, 2010

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I had just awoken and flipped on the news. I was just in time to catch the news that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center in NYC. I rushed to tell my wife who was in the other room. We got back to the television set just in time to see a second plane crash into the other tower. There is no describing the emotions that went through my mind as we realized that it wasn't a crash but rather an attack of some sort. We continued to watch in horror as the towers collapsed. My family spent the entirety of that day huddled around one television set or another waiting for any news. Who attacked us? Why were our families and neighbors being murdered before our very eyes?

In the 9 years since that date, the landscape of the world has changed. In some ways those changes are for the worse. Many people have become prejudiced against a single religion and not just the extremists who perpetrated the attack.

On the other hand, America has become a closer community, both with our own country and with our friends around the world.

There is definitely healing yet to be done and the world will always and should always remember that day. Not for the wars and hatred that it spawned but for the fact that it made the world a smaller place and turned a bright light on the dangers of extremism of any sort.

I wish the world over a peaceful day on this September 11, 2010.

Always Remember.

Hyde and Geek Comic Test Run

I've been toying with the idea of doing a comic strip here at Hyde and Geek but I haven't decided on the art direction or final characters. Below is the first strip I've created just to test the waters of what it might look like. Keep in mind that this isn't the final strip nor is there any promise that there will be any more. Enjoy!

Also, I know some of my readers are artists and webcomic creators. If you have any advice and/or input, I'd appreciate it greatly.

A List of Random Things that I Love...

• the way my wife looks so beautiful without even trying - I'm especially glad that she doesn't realize this or she'd never have married me
• my kids for letting me see the world through their eyes on occasion and experiencing a wonder that only children have
• a fall afternoon when the summer heat is long gone but the chill of winter is still just an unpleasant thought for tomorrow
• the near perfect still of the night at 3am when normal people are asleep and the world feels magical and ancient
• the cold of a dog's nose
• that I'm in my 30s and cartoons, Muppets and toys can still make me smile
• the feel of fresh grass under my bare feet
• that I live in America
• the smell of fresh ink when you crack open a new comic book
• the pencil stain on the side of my hand after an intense session of writing or drawing
• anything made by my kids for me
• the fact that some of those things made for me say "world's best dad" when I often feel so far from that praise
• the smell of a book - fresh and new or old and dusty, it doesn't matter
• cleaning my house while singing along to Cat Stevens tunes when there's no one around to hear how silly I sound
• the still chill in the air just before it rains
• that my mother let me be me and never forced me to be something that I'm not - I hope that I can do the same for my own kids
• and the knowledge that someone who is as hard-headed and downright odd as me could end up with the life that I'm living right now

The Kids Need to Read 36 Hour Tweetathon

Update: The Tweetathon is now OVER! However, the page will remain live for a while so you may still be able to CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

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Followers of my Twitter will know that I am a huge Browncoat (that's a fan of the TV show Firefly for the uninitiated). One day around a year ago, Firefly star Nathan Fillion tweeted about a charity that he co-founded called Kids Need to Read.

As a Browncoat, I took a look at the charity. Then, as a reader, a father, and an elementary school teacher-in-training, I fell in love with the Kids Need to Read mission to provide books to underprivileged schools and reading programs.

To assist them in their goal, I am holding a 36 hour charity tweetathon this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, August 3rd and 4th in an attempt to raise $4000 for charity. That means that, beginning at 10am EST on Tuesday, I will be sitting at my computer on Twitter and tweeting at least once every 10 minutes for the duration of 36 hours straight. That means no sleep and no cheating by using Twitter from my phone or iPod. I haven't stayed awake for 36 hours straight in almost two decades so, if you're following me on Twitter, be prepared for some insane drivel to be spouted after the 20 hour mark or so.

How can you help with this event? Just follow me on Twitter, retweet my links during the tweetathon to help spread the word and, most importantly, donate! CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW! Also, if you have any inside lines to celebrities on Twitter to help spread the word, that would help immensely. I set my goal high for this event and I have no doubt that my geeky followers on Twitter will help me to blow this one out of the water!

Now buckle in, folks! It's going to be a bumpy ride!

And again... Click here to donate!

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Related links:

The Kids Need to Read official site

Follow Kids Need to Read on Twitter

Follow Scott (Hyde & Geek) on Twitter

Watch the First Footage of The Goon in CGI

In case you've been living under a rock, Eric Powell's amazing comic The Goon is being made into a feature film. The details have been scarce but here's what we know: the film is being produced by David Fincher (Fight Club, SE7EN). It stars Clancy Brown (Carnivale) and Paul Giamatti (American Splendor) as The Goon and his pal Franky respectively.

But enough of that, just watch the video and be amazed!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc. Updates a Classic Forumula

When I was a kid, I always wanted to hunt ghosts and monsters. I eventually got into Ghostbusters in my tween years and went all out into an obsession that lasts to this day. But, before Ghostbusters... there was Scooby, Shaggy and gang of meddling kids at Mystery Inc.

Over the years, I've watched my childhood heroes go through various incarnations ending with the previous Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue (which was horrid!... but that's another tale). As of last week, Scooby Doo returned to form with Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc.

The show updates things like giving the gang some more interpersonal relationships, a town called Crystal Cove as a home base and a cast of backup characters with mysteries of their own. But, at its core, Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc. is classic Scooby all the way.

The first episode begins by setting the tone of the series. The story picks up sometime after several of the classic series. There are some cool references to some of the "monsters" that the gang have unmasked during a sequence at the Crystal Cove museum. During that scene, it's quickly made clear that the town of Crystal Cove has made itself a great tourist trade by cashing in on all the monsters and ghost stories. With all the tourist money rolling in, the Mystery Inc. gang has been discouraged from solving mysteries by parents, adults and the local sheriff (voiced with hilarious gusto by Patrick Warburton).

The gang has been doing their best to be normal kids with normal jobs. Velma for one, works at the aforementioned Crystal Cove Monster Museum. But their boring lives come to a screeching halt when an unexpecting sewer crew blows open a hidden area beneath the city and a radioactive monster is released to terrorize the town. Mystery Inc. to the rescue!

After that setup, the show goes into classic Scooby mode. The gang gathers clues, prepares the prerequisite Goldberg trap for the monster and solve the mystery. I won't give the mystery away for those who haven't seen it, but the solving of the case was a blast. Along the way, we get to see a a secret romance between Shaggy and Velma. We watch Daphne try to come on to a clueless Fred. There's a couple of cool homage bits including an Aliens reference, a Casey Kasem cameo and even Don Knotts! Yes. This is the Scooby show that finally gets it right for the modern age. I've watched all the recent movies where the vampires, demons and ghosts are real and I like them for what they are... but they just weren't Doo.

The show wraps up just as you'd expect with the meddling kids line but then we're treated to a mysterious phone call from a man calling himself Mr. E (voiced by Lewis Black) who tells the kids that one of the clues that they found might have deeper meaning and that the town of Crystal Cove just might be cursed! If the writers can manage the episodic nature of classic Scooby while weaving in this overlying story arc, this might just be X-Files for the kiddie set and I can't wait to see if they can pull it off!

Final score: 4 out of 5

The second episode airs tonight at 7pm EST on Cartoon Network.

Visit the official Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc. website.

Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc. Comes to Cartoon Network

I've been a fan of Scooby Doo for as far back as I can remember. I think the idea of a team of monster-hunters like those of Ghostbusters and Monster Squad, both of which I am also quite enamored, will always get the 8-year-old me excited like nothing else ever can.

And tomorrow night, Scooby Doo returns to Cartoon Network in a new incarnation called simply Scooby Doo! Mystery Inc.

The show features the voices of Frank Welker (the original Fred) and Matthew Lillard (of the live-action Scooby Doo movies) as Fred and Shaggy along with a host of guest voices including comedian Lewis Black and Tony Todd (Candyman).

It looks like Cartoon Network is sticking to the classic mystery formula, complete with guest stars on a random basis. I sure hope so because I'm wanting this thing to be full on double rainbow!

Watch the teaser below and I'll return later this week with my fan-review.

Visit the official Scooby Doo site on Cartoon Network.

io9 Presents an Awesome 1980's Firefly Video

io9 has made the most awesome YouTube video I've seen in a while. Imagine, if you will, an even more awesome version of the 1980s where Joss Whedon has already created Firefly. Got that in your head? Okay... now watch this video and pretend that you remember how awesome it was 25 years ago!

Find out the full story behind the video at i09.

Wil Wheaton's Roots (t-shirt)

The first J!NX t-shirt design by Wil Wheaton was fun but his second is pure brilliance!

I began playing Dungeons & Dragons in the 5th grade. For the first 20 years of my current 25 year run as an RPG player (well... mostly GM), I played the good old fashioned way. I spent countless weekends visiting far-away fantasy worlds with just a couple of rule books, some graph paper, a pen, a bag of dice and a few good friends.

These days, we've got pre-printed map tiles and miniatures and a ton more pre-made adventures but nothing... NOTHING will ever top those days. I remember vividly one adventure where I did get to sit in on the player side of things and our DM had our adventurers face off against the Predator. Let me say that again. We faced the frakkin' Predator. The alien bounty hunter... in a D&D setting. Sure. It didn't make any kind of story-sense at all and our entire party got slaughtered, but it was one of the best nights of gaming I've have ever had. I think I'm going to go dig out my original D&D rule books and give them a read.

Thanks, Wil, for designing a shirt that so perfectly evokes those memories for me. It is made of pure win.

Click here to purchase the "Roots" shirt.

Click here to visit Wil Wheaton's blog for more gaming goodness.

Scott Pilgrim vs. Scott?

The latest rage this past week has been the Scott Pilgrim vs The World avatar creator.

Just for random fun, here's mine...

Mortal Kombat 9 Trailer from E3

Today, we get our first glimpse of where Midway is taking the Mortal Kombat franchise and it looks good!

The last Mortal Kombat game (vs DC Universe) was a great game but many fans didn't care for the neutered version of fatalities and finishing moves. It looks like Midway took that same 2.5D approach to the gameplay as MK vs DC but ramped it back up to full-on Mortal Kombat brutality. And it's goooood! Combined with the reimagined movie that may be on the way and this... it looks like Mortal Kombat may be on the comeback trail.

The game is due in March 2011.

Visit the official Mortal Kombat website.

12-Minute GeekSix Interview featuring Me

Last evening, I was interviewed by Josh of GeekSix.com in the second of his 12-minute spontaneous interviews. In that short time, we discussed my blog name, who's my favorite tweeter and who's better: Kirk or Picard? Maybe it was in my head but I was sure that I could hear Twitter nearly exploding with the overload of our combined awesome! But I'm sure it was more like this...

Head on over to this page to read the interview in its entirety.

...and be sure to follow Josh on Twitter while you're at it.

Get Rid of those Comic Long Boxes for Good

I've long since had The Sultan gaming table from Geek Chic on my want list. Today, I was showing The Sultan to a friend and found that the gang that made The Sultan are now making a nice piece of furniture to store comics and cards! I love me some RPGs... but comics are my life-source. It's not officially on sale yet and there's no price given but, regardless, this thing just went on my if-you-want-to-be-my-best-friend-forever gift list!

Click here to check out the Alexandria Codex on the Geek Chic site.

Mortal Kombat Returns with a Vengeance

I just came across this video on Kotaku of what appears to be either a new Mortal Kombat movie or game but, as of now, nobody is sure exactly what it is. Whatever it is, it is made of pure frakkin' awesome!

It features Michael Jai White as Jax, Jerri Ryan as Sonya and some all-out homicidal killers! This is exactly what Mortal Kombat should be when and if it ever returns to the big screen. Anybody have any idea where this video came from?



Read the original story on Kotaku.

Snoop Dogg is a Jedi Master!

I just came across this new ADIDAS ad hawking their line of Star Wars clothing and shoes and it is made of pure win! It's a revision of the cantina scene and it's much better than the last time George Lucas revised it with the idea that Han shot first. It stars Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk, David Beckham, and Oasis' Gallagher brothers. 'Nuff said! Just watch!

Frank Darabont Talks about The Walking Dead

To go along with the awesome images from AMC's The Walking Dead that I posted a couple of days ago, AMC also released this teaser video with director Frank Darabont discussing his ideas for the show. It doesn't reveal much that we didn't already know but I'm so excited about this show that every little detail is like candy to me. Enjoy!

Want a HUD for Your Web Access? It's on it's Way!

I was tweeting yesterday about how cool it would be for someone to make a pair of sunglasses with 4G access and a HUD (that's a heads-up-display for you who don't like games or sci-fi) display that would allow me to read my e-mail and tweets on the fly.

How shocked was I to find out that two of my Twitter pals (@K1ngB00 and @ValVictory) work for a company called Microvision that is working on exactly that technology!

Not only can you check messages via these uber-cool glasses. You can also get GPS, watch movies and even play video games!

If you think this stuff is as awesome as I do, you can click here to check out their site and read up!

It's like the Sixth World of Shadowrun is upon us!

And, before you ask, after Warren Ellis and Mark Waid, I've been given third dibs on a pair once they hit the street. Go get yer own!

Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale Cover Art Revealed

The story that every fan of Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity has been dying to know finally hits shelves this November. What story is that you ask? Just who the heck is Derrial "Shepherd" Book? Really? What do we know thus far? Not much.

Throughout the series, movie and interviews with Joss Whedon, we've gleaned the following about Shepherd Book...

• He can fight and handle a gun with the best of them.
• He knows his way around the Serenity.
• He has some major pull with the Alliance.
• Derrial is not his real name. He took the name of a man that he killed.
• Part of his body is artificial.
• He found God in a bowl.
• He is known for his greatest failure.

...and that's about it.

But this November we'll find the whole story when Dark Horse releases The Shepherds Tale graphic novel that is supposed to fill in the backstory of this enigmatic character.

CBR (via an exclusive with Dark Horse) gave us our first real hint at what the story will include with this image of the book's cover. There are hints there in the pages flying around our hero. But, just like what we've been given so far, they are only hints. What's with the snake underfoot? What's happening in those images? We'll have to wait until November to find out. For now, just check out the image below and take your best guesses.

Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale is written by Zack Whedon based on an outline by Joss Whedon with artwork by Chris Samnee.

Check Out the Freakin' Cool Japanese Trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

I've been rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender on Neflix Instant these past few weeks to prepare myself for the upcoming film and, while browsing the web, I came across the Japanese trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender and if he's actually pulled this off, it looks like he may have redeemed himself for The Happening.

The film is based on the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender which centers around the legend of a master of the elements who will return and unite the four nations of fire, earth, air and water. It stars Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone and will hit theaters on July 2nd.

Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!

1st Official Images from AMC's The Walking Dead

AMC has released the first official images of some of the zombies from their upcoming adaptation of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic. The series will be directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) and follows the story of Kentucky police officer Rick Grimes and the survivors that he encounters during a zombie apocalypse.

The show premiers this October on AMC and, if the news thus far is any indication, is going to be amazing!

Visit the official Walking Dead show site.

Check out the official gallery over at AMC.

Cpt. America's Movie Costume Officially Issued

Yesterday, Joblo gave us a description of what the film version of Captain America would look like. Today, courtesy of Aintitcool, we get some images to go along with the description. It's not exactly the ultimate version but rather a mix of the classic look with the more practical ultimate Cap's look. I like it! Your thoughts?

A Look at Captain America's Big-Screen Duds

Joblo reported this morning of what is supposedly the concept design for the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger film. They report that Cap will have two costumes. One flashy costume for the public that will be more in line with the comic version's bright colors and a second that is described as having the following features:

- a helmet with the "A" on the front

- a white star on his chest (but not as prominent as the classic costume)

- a more military type uniform with a darker shade of blue

- military belt and pants tucked into combat boots

- no scaled "Spider-Man" look for the costume

Sounds to me like classic Ultimate Cap (which is shown in the image above since no image was given by Joblo) and if that's the case, I'm all for it. Just don't lose the cowl. I'm already not impressed with the idea of Chris Evans as Captain America but him with just a helmet and an Army suit running around seems ridiculous to me.

What do you think of the direction of the Captain America movie thus far?

Read the original story on Joblo.

Second Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Trailer

The 2nd trailer to Edgar Wright's (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Spaced) Scott Pilgrim vs The World was released this morning and it's even funnier than the first one!

Wil Wheaton Does Gaga with Bonus: Felicia Day

This is a video of Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day doing Rock Band to Lady Gaga's Pokerface at this year's Phoenix ComicCon! Need I say more? Enjoy!

Memorial Day 2010

Today, we remember those who fell in battle so that we might, play on the internet, read comics, play RPGs or whatever geeky activities we choose to get into in safety. Thank you...

Still Alive

It's been nearly 2 months since I've written anything here. For the two of you that read my insane geek ramblings, I just wanted to pop in and say that I am still alive and that, sadly, I have decided to make it official and drop the weekly comic reviews from the blog. I love writing my DC comic reviews but I just don't have the time. I'll have some free time this summer but then things will get much busier in the fall so there's just no way that I can keep it up.

Instead, I will focus on whatever other geekly interests that pop into my head. I may drop in with a comic-of-the-week review from time to time when I come across something awesome. As always, you can follow me on Twitter to keep up with my random thoughts.

Until next time, I leave you with the awesome trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

Comic Reviews - Brightest Day May Not Be So Bright

It's been a several weeks here at Hyde and Geek without comic reviews. I have no excuse except that my schooling was kicking my derriere in a royal way. But now I'm back and, while I don't plan on playing catch-up with the issues I missed, I do hope you enjoy the reviews from here on in. Oh! And beware... there are spoilers ahead, including at least one very big one in Blackest Night #7. You've been warned...

Superman #697

This is a great issue that mirrors Superman's first encounter with the Legion of Superheroes. The story picks up after the explosion at the Science Police headquarters with Mon-El and the Guardian discovering that Control is really a Durlan shape-shifter. The Durlan (calling himself Reep Daggle) claims to be leader of the LSH Espionage Squad. After a brief chase, Control/Daggle escapes. Cut to an interlude with Steel and Mon-El shown cleaning up Metropolis. Then Superboy shows up and asks Mon-El to visit Smallville for a chat. This issue would've scored a bit better if it didn't end with "to be continued in Adventure Comics #8". I don't read Adventure so I'll be missing the conclusion to this tale.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Batman & Robin #9

After raising the Batman clone in a Lazarus pit, Batman, along with Knight and Squire, is trapped in a cave beneath tons of rubble where he is attempting to raise the recently deceased Batwoman using the same pit. Meanwhile, back at Wayne Manor, Robin and Alfred are facing down the insane Batman clone who is rapidly deteriorating both mentally and physically. Long story short, Batwoman is resurrected and the Bat-clone is defeated. It seems that this entire "resurrection of Batman" story is just a long aside to get Dick to realize that Bruce isn't dead which he does on the last page. Other than Frank Quitely's art in the first issues, I've been luke-warm on Batman & Robin and this issue did nothing to change that.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

The Flash: Rebirth #6

The finale of Flash: Rebirth did exactly what you'd expect it to in wrapping up the rebirth storyline and setting up April's Flash ongoing series. Iris is saved. Thrawne is cut off from the negative speed force and all is well. Barry's back and there's a few hints as to what's coming in the new series. It's a bit predictable but still not a bad issue since Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver's worst is better than most other team's best. I just felt that reading this issue was like getting that great steak at the restaurant you've been to a thousand times... good but not surprising.

Score: 4 out of 5

Blackest Night #7

John's may have been a tad predictable in Flash: Rebirth but he definitely surprised me on the final pages of this issue! I've been predicting from since the very first issue of Blackest Night that a White Lantern would eventually rise to take down Nekron and I was right... but was I ever so wrong as to who it would be! The issue is the continuation of the epic battle taking place over earth between the Black Lanterns and, well... every one else. Guardians are killed, Lanterns turn on one another and secrets are revealed! It turns out that, in addition to hiding the truth behind Sector 666 and locking away the Parallax entity inside the Green Lantern's central power battery, the Guardians have been concealing the fact that the creator of the universe was hidden on Earth! (Hence their aversion to ever having a Green Lantern from Earth.) As it turns out, this white entity, called simply "The Entity", was hidden away to protect the universe. Nekron manages to pull The Entity out of the Earth and begins attacking it. The Guardians reveal that The Entity is connected to all life in the universe and, should Nekron manage to kill it, all life will cease to exist. The Lanterns come to the conclusion that, like Parallax, The Entity needs a host. Hal Jordan rushes in to join with The Entity (as was my original prediction) when suddenly Sinestro rushes in and becomes the White Lantern! I was stunned at that final double-page spread and just stared at it for a while as I considered the ramifications of this unexpected turn of events. I can't wait for the conclusion so that I can see how this plays out and what will become of my favorite DC villain. Kudos to Johns for pulling a fast one on me. Kudos indeed!

Score: 5 out of 5

Freddy Gets Scary in the Latest Nightmare on Elm St. Trailer

After the first trailer was released, I had my doubts about the direction Michael Bay's production company was taking the new Nightmare on Elm Street.

The trailer had it's strengths but I wasn't too sure about Freddy's makeup and his voice when he spoke was just wrong.

Now New Line has released the second trailer and the majority of those uncertainties have been alleviated. Freddy actually seems scary for the first time since Wes Craven's original film.

What are your thoughts on the new Nightmare remake?

A Nightmare on Elm Street Trailer 2 in HD

Trailer Park Movies | MySpace Video

Source: MySpace Video

Kick-Ass International Trailer

MSN Video treated us today to the international trailer for Kick-Ass and it's a big bucket o' NSFW goodness.

I am dying to see this movie!

Comic Reviews - Blackest Night Sucks... Literally!

Green Lantern Corps #44
When I read Green Lantern Corps #43, I suggested that it'd be a good idea to leave the Red Lantern ring on Guy Gardner's finger and let him obliterate the Black Lanterns. At least one of the Green Lanterns has that same idea this issue but I'm willing to be he regrets that decision on the final panel! But I get ahead of myself. The issue picks up with Mogo's arrival on the scene as the various colored Lanterns battle to keep the Black Lanterns from devouring the green power battery. On the surface of the planet, Guy Gardner continues to cut a bloody red path through everything he sees. Upon seeing this, the recently resurrected Kyle Rayner attempts to try and get the ring off of Guy only to be stopped by Lantern Vath who tells Kyle to let Guy go and just stay out of the way. Kyle doesn't listen as he's afraid of the damage the red ring is doing to Guy's mind. Kyle's attempt to reveal that he's not dead to Guy goes sour when Guy believes Kyle's resurrection to be a trick of the Black Lanterns. It's about this time that Mogo reveals why he's actually moved. He says there is a secret directive for him to purge the planet. He does his "purge" by increasing his gravity to suck all the Black Lanterns into his core where they'll totally burned up over and over for all eternity. After the Black Lanterns are gone, a few of the Green Lanterns prep a plan to remove the red ring from Guy's finger only to come face to face with a very red and very pissed off Guy! Showdown time! Blackest Night had a lull right around the midpoint where it seemed like every issue was just more reveals of who was rising but it's definitely turned around and is blasting full steam ahead into awesome now!
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Blackest Night: The Flash #2
The main power battery may be safe but Keystone City is still under the shadow of Blackest Night in this issue. It begins with the Rogues seeking out Black Lanterns to try and find Captain Cold's risen sister, Golden Glider, who he hopes can be saved. The Rogues have a run in with some risen Rogues including the Mirror Master, Top, Captain Boomerang and eventually Golden Glider. Cut back to Barry who is granted a blue ring for always having hope and instilling that in others. Blue Lantern Flash battles the risen speedsters including Black Lantern Thawne and is doing pretty well. The battle picks up as Wally and Solivar arrive. Back at the Rogue's battle, while Captain Cold faces up to the fact that Golden Glider is dead and isn't coming back, the rest of the Rogues are having their collective rear handed to them. After Cold comes to his senses and takes down Glider, he discovers that the Top and Boomerang are using Weather Wizard as a punching bag. Before Cold can put the freeze on them, the new Captain Boomerang shows up to save his dad. Can he? We'll see in the next, and final, issue!
Score: 4 out of 5

Superman/Batman #68
While Blackest Night rips through the rest of the DC Universe, Batman/Superman goes off on a tangent with an "aftermath" issue from 2001's Our Worlds at War storyline and it's actually pretty cool! With some amazing art from Ardian Syaf, writer Joe Casey takes us on a fun romp this issue and I like that it's a slightly lighter turn from the rest of the death-laden DCU. We get to see Batman facing down a villain called Death-Man who's gimmick is that he falls into a death-like coma whenever he's captured. Superman meets the financial backer of S.T.A.R. Labs, who may be a shape-shifting alien from the Kryptonian ship revealed last issue. To top it off Clark is attacked at the Planet by a nuclear-powered villain called NRG-X. That's an anagram for something but no one cares because he's just there to smash things and lead our team on a search for whoever hired him to kill Clark. The issue ends with NRG-X coming face to face with a slightly angry Superman who I'm sure will pummel him next issue before heading onto S.T.A.R. Labs to take down the Kryptonian(?) shapeshifter who contracted the hit. This is a good, if rather predictable, story but it's a light fun side-trip that I really enjoyed.
Score: 3.5 out of 5

Comic Reviews - Batman Goes to the Birds

Action Comics #885
After trading a sample of her blood to Jax-Ur in exchange for him curing Nighting's rapid aging, Flamebird must help him excape S.T.A.R. Labs. They make it as far as the roof before running into The Guardian, Mon-El and the Science Police. Rather than continue fighting humans and making an even worse case for Kryptonians, our heroes surrender. While the arrest is being made, we discover another of Zod's sleepers on the Science Police force. Things get worse as Nightwing and Flamebird are celled in via some red-son radiated rooms. and Zod's sleeper places what appears to be a kryptonite-laced bomb in the labs. Nightwing uses his one phone call to call for Lois and a race is one between Lois and her father to get to the Kryptonians first. Lois arrives first but Gen. Lane arrives with full forces and it's a stand-off... until Guardian switches sides and attempts to help his new prisoners escape. In the midst of the escape, Zod's krypto-bomb explodes and we're left wondering who will still be alive next issue. The main story is followed up with the continuation of the adventures of Captain Atom which begins with him facing the Justice League. The League kicks him around a bit before Mon-El and Hal Jordan stop them and realize that Atom's telling the truth and he's back on the side of good. He explains to them that he's been trapped in the magical realm that General Lane has been planning on using against the Kryptonians and that he needs to go back there to stop him. With no Zatanna around, the JLA has no idea how to return the good Captain to magic-land. Of course, that doesn't mean the Shadowpact hasn't got an idea or two!
Score: 3.5 out of 5

Batman #695
Batman continues to track down Kitrina Falcone via a little interrogation of a few of Gotham's criminally-inclined citizens. Kitrinia, in turn, has her own run in with Catwoman. Batman makes a pit-stop at the newly rebuilt Arkham Asylum to discuss the mental profile of Black Mask with Dr. Arkham. Meanwhile, Huntress is on the tail of Mario Falcone who is heading out of town. The chase comes to a screeching halt when the new Reaper arrives and attempts to kill Falcone. Huntress and Batman save Falcone but the Reaper escapes in a cloud of poisonous gas. Back at the Bat-Cave, Damien says he's solved the mystery of the hypnotic gas masks that he's been working on and wonders if Dick has figured them out as well. Batman catches up with Catwoman to retrieve Kitrinia only to find that she's escaped a set-up that supposedly was inescapable according to Bruce. The meeting of the Bat and the Cat is cut short with a call from Oracle with a tip on where Kitrina may be hiding out and Batman is off in persuit. Cut to a brief interlude with Edward Nigma in a phone booth telling someone that he's slowly getting his memory back and that he's dumping his conversation partner as a client. It appears that the client was the Penguin and that the Riddler is on his way back to becoming a threat to Gotham. Back on the trail of Kitrina, Batman arrives at a run down amusement park and instantly makes the mistake of following a mysterious character into a fun house where he's attacked by a murder of crows with poisoned beaks. Through clouded vision, Batman comes face to face with the Penguin and Mad Hatter as they present him with his very own version of a mind-controlling gas mask. These tales with Dick behind the cowl make me kind of sad that we all know the "Return of Bruce Wayne" is coming soon. I think Dick's been doing a good job as Bats and is bringing a fresh take on the character that honestly was growing stale being the uber-genius that no one could take down. My hope is that, when Bruce returns, he takes on a role similar to that in Batman Beyond and allows Dick to keep the cowl.
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Review - Geek Girl #0

I remember being in high school and having friends who would attempt to draw their own comic books. Invariably, as they were written by teenage boys, they always seemed to be one of two types. They would either be about the dark brooding anti-hero (The Crow and Miller's Dark Knight were both popular at the time) or they'd be excuses to draw pin-up art and call it comics. Sadly, Geek-Girl's freshman outing falls squarely in the latter of those two types of comics.

Created by Sam Johnson of FanBabes.com, Geek-Girl is the tale of popular high schooler Ruby Kaye. The story begins with the tale of the school brainiac Trevor who has invented a pair of geek glasses that he claims can give him superpowers so that he might woo the girl of his dreams. Trevor and one of his buddies run into Ruby and her sexy friends at a local restaurant and spill the beans about the special glasses. Naturally, Ruby wants these super geek glasses. After a series of sexual jokes and innuendos, Ruby wins the glasses from Trevor in a strip poker game (Yes. A strip poker game. I couldn't make this stuff up! Well... I could... but I wouldn't.) Now that the glasses are in the hands of Ruby, she finds that, when wearing them, she gains the powers of super strength, flight and apparently looking really hot in glasses. On the downside, the super geek glasses also give Ruby super klutziness. After a random encounter with a criminal, Ruby jokes that she should become a superhero. Her friend who is with her at the time agrees and tells Ruby that she'll make her a "geeky sexy" costume. And that's where the issue ends leading into the upcoming Geek-Girl mini-series.

Granted, this comic is aimed at a particular audience and, if I were still 14, I'd be all over it. The artwork here isn't great by any means but the main mini-series will have art by Pablo Martinena who, from the preview pages, is damn good at sexy cheesecake superhero art. But, as it stands, I can't recommend Geek-Girl to anyone. If you're a geek, you'll be offended by the idea that klutziness = geekiness. (We all know brains = geekiness = real sexy.) If you're a girl, you'll be offended by the sexism. And if you're a comic fan, you'll be offended that you're reading this instead of something good.

Everybody Needs "Validation"

I had to watch this short film for class and it's just become one of my favorite pieces of film ever! It's sheer brilliance! I won't give anymore away but if this doesn't make you smile, you probably aren't human.