Geeks Are a'Tumblin'!

Hi, geek gang! If you're one of the intrepid readers that have been eagerly awaiting a new Hyde and Geek post, I offer my apologies. I haven't had the time to devote to this blog as much as I'd like (translated: I've been studying a lot and thus unmotivated to write anything very lengthy).

However, I have been posting lots of awesome photos over at the Tumblr blog that I set up as a sort of little sister to this one. Check it out. I'm sure you'll find something there that will make you laugh.

Click the Image to Visit...

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes Trailer is Creepy!

After Tim Burton's disastrous reimagining of the classic Planet of the Apes franchise, I'd pretty much ignored the fact that Hollywood was trying to make another POTA film. I mean Rise of the Planet of the Apes? Really? I think that the second "of" made even the title sound off to me for some reason. But today, for the first time, my interest was piqued when 20th Century Fox released the first teaser trailer for the new film. It actually looks creepy and... good.

I'll hold my breath since I've been burned by horrible films with awesome trailers before but the Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer is here. What are your thoughts?



Related links:
www.apeswillrise.com (official site from 20th century fox)

The Weeping Woman is a Creepy Winter Romp

Poster Art by Mark Welser

Mark Steensland is a filmmaker friend of mine. He has made several creepy short films including Peekers, Lovecraft's Pillow, and the comicbook-based Dead@17. His latest film, based on a short story from UK horror scribe Paul Kane is titled The Weeping Woman.

Set in the rural snow-covered countryside of Erie, PA, The Weeping Woman follows the tale of Harry, a businessman who takes a shortcut and has a fateful encounter with the titular weeping woman.

The cast includes Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night's Evil Ed) and newcomer Melissa Bostaph with special effects from "Monster" Mark Kosobucki (Bloody Inheritance) and a haunting score from Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond).

As an avid fan of anthology shows like The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, I've always been a fan of short films. The format allows for some great creepy tales that wouldn't benefit from the feature length expansions. (Check out some of Stephen King's films  and you'll see what I mean.)

Steensland has proven time and time again that he is a master behind the camera. He gets shots into his short films that one would might expect from bigger-budget fare and The Weeping Woman is no exception. That great cinematography, combined with the snow-covered on-location filming and Frizzi's eerie score make for a film that the above mentioned shows would have been proud to include in their libraries.

There are not very many characters in The Weeping Woman but the few that are seen are very well done. The main character Harry is played by Stephen Geoffreys, best known for corny sidekick roles in 80s horror flicks like Fright Night and 976-EVIL. In The Weeping Woman, Geoffreys takes some leaps into a slightly more serious role, even though he lets that cornball side slip into the film's opening sequence. The creepy "weeping woman" is played by actress Melissa Bostaph in her premiere role. She does a great job of portraying a creepy, ghostlike hag that I definitely wouldn't want to run into on some lonely snow-covered night.

I won't give too much of the story away since The Weeping Woman will be making the film festival circuit throughout 2011, but if you get the chance to check it out, you won't be sorry.

Update: You'll get your first chance to catch the film with the world premiere at Motor City Nightmares (April 15-17).

Update 31 March 2011: Check out the teaser trailer for the film (with a blurb from "you know who")...


Related links:
Mark Steensland - official site
Paul Kane - official site
Mark Kosobucki - official site
Mark Kosobucki - Twitter
Mark Welser - official site

Blinky (short film)

Max Records (Where the Wild Things Are) stars in this short film about a friendly household robot with a not-so-friendly malfunction.


Blinky™ from Ruairi Robinson on Vimeo.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Muppet Style!

Have a good one, mates!

Geeks Unite for Japan!

If it weren't for Japan, we'd have no Nintendo, anime, giant robots, Godzilla, or sushi. In case you've been living under a rock (or stuck playing the latest Call of Duty) for the past week, Japan was recently devestated by an enormous 8.9 earthquake, followed by many aftershocks and tsunamis with death tolls currently topping at over 10,000. It is now in threat of a nuclear meltdown.

In reponse, our good friends at The Geek Girls Network have teamed up with Mercy Corps to help aid Japan in its time of need.

I saw the strength and passion of my fellow geeks last season with my Kids Need to Read tweetathon so I know that we can do this! Let's help 'em out!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW!

Engage!

Updated: As an added bonus, Who's Got the Button? will donate 10% of all button sales this week to the Geeks with Heart drive.

Related links:
Geek Girls Network
Mercy Corps