Whoa!

Had a ridiculous surge in new visitors to the site yesterday. Scanning over my tracker results, I was surprised to find most of them hailing from only two sources: a Facebook redirect from my good friend, Ashe; and the comments I made on sci-fi author John Scalzi's blog post regarding a new token-scale online market opening up.

All I can say is: Aww shucks, guys. Thanks!

More Movie Maven Goodness . . .

For those of you who have been enjoying the weekly "Movie Maven" spots starring Tara Perry and produced by Mania.com, here's a blooper edition to tide you over until new content comes out:



Now of course, some of this is made even more funny if you've watched the previous webisodes in the series. So, to that effect, click on this link to view the very first segment and work your way up via the YouTube sidebar on the right side of the page.

As I've mentioned before, there's a definite improvement curve at notice here. But they're all good!

Can Summer Blockbuster Season Come Any Faster, Please?

Two words:

War. Machine.

'Nuff said!

The Downfall of HD-DVD

Around 2 years ago this time there was a heated war brewing: with the camp of HD-DVD supporters on one side, and Blu-ray-backed studios on the other. Both were battling it out over who would reign supreme as the number one high-definition format after DVD eventually phased out. At the time, many likened the war to the VHS vs Betamax conflict of the early 80s. But few could predict how the tables would suddenly turn, nor how swiftly the war would end by one decisive act.

In January of 2008, just weeks before the industry's annual showcase, CES, Warner Brothers announced they were now putting their support behind Blu-ray, abandoning what many HD-DVD adopters had arrogantly assumed was a surefire feather in their cap.

But the numbers did not lie. Due to Sony having the foresight to equip all their PlayStation 3 consoles with built-in Blu-ray players right out the box--and since the home console was just beginning to hit its stride in sales--Warner and many other previous diehard HD-DVD supporters could no longer ignore the truth. Blu-ray was gaining, and all the top analysts were predicting an eventual lead over HD-DVD in the year to come. Warner, in actuality, only precipitated what had already been apparent on the books for months.

But many HD-DVD owners were too stubborn to admit defeat. So, when the Warner announcement came, it was to profound shock to Microsoft supporters and Xbox 360 owners alike, both of whom had aligned all their hopes behind an HD-DVD dominated market not so much for personal stake (unlike the PS3, the 360 had foolishly not come equipped with an HD-DVD player), but because they wanted to see Sony and its much hyped Blu-ray format fail.

Warner's capitulation changed all that. Blockbuster soon followed suit, announcing an abrupt reversal to a statement it had made just a month prior putting its support behind HD-DVD only. Now Blockbuster was singing a different tune, stating that while it would still stock current HD-DVD titles, its future high-def video rental offerings would involve Blu-ray releases solely.

Rather than the war taking another year and change to end, this back-to-back blow effectively crowned Blu-ray king within just a few short months into 2008. Today, HD-DVD is but a mere memory soaked beneath the bitter tears of fanboys who still refuse to believe their dreams of a Sony and Blu-ray humiliation have not come to fruition.

To commemorate this blessed changing of fortunes, I have reposted a parody video below which was first released when the news of Warner's defection was still fresh in the ears of Blu-ray naysayers. The video takes a pivotal scene from the excellent German film, Der Untergang, and replaces the original English subtitles with scripted text devoted to the downfall of HD-DVD -- to hilarious effect! It takes a scene which is orginally depicting Hitler's reception of the news that his top generals have either been defeated or defected beneath the approaching advance of Russian troops, and turns it on its head. LOL! The thought of Hitler calling in his top advisers to discuss something as mundane as the high-definition movie market just tickles me to no end.

But, honestly, nothing can top the actual words some genius scripted to go along with the real movie dialogue (spoken in German). The reaction and the expressions on the actors' faces just matchup so perfectly with the parodied subject matter. You have to check it out for yourself and keep in mind the atmosphere that was prevailing in late 2007/early 2008:

At The Movies . . .

Well, as mentioned earlier, we spent all day last Friday watching movies. But I've been rather busy this weekend, so I didn't have much time to update until now. We saw 3 different movies at 3 different movie theaters, all more or less along a 2-mile stretch of Broadway, from the AMC theater at 42nd street to the Lincoln Plaza cinema at 68th.

Of the 3 films, the Disney one was perhaps the most satisfying. I say perhaps because the jury's still out on Ninja Assassin. I have to watch that again to fully piece together the plotline that somehow eluded me. Maybe there isn't one. Or maybe I was lost in all the CGI gore. Who knows?

Anyway, here are my quick impressions. Click on the titles of each movie to watch the trailers.

NINJA ASSASSIN
----------------------

Intense action, extremely graphic gore and blood, pretty decent acting. The legendary martial artist and actor Sho Kosugi as the villain, the head of the Ozunu ninja clan. Haven't seen this guy since the excellent B-movie Blind Fury back in 1989. Lead actor (and Korean pop singer) Rain does an understated but awesome job as the main character, Raizo, a young man on the run from the clan which once sheltered him. The gorgeous Naomie Harris as the Interpol agent who aids Raizo was excellent, as usual. Having her in the film is a big plus. The film is a taught, fast-paced action-thriller with seriously cool choreographed battles, although the CGI blood and guts can be overwhelming for some. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Rating:    3 out of 5


THE ROAD
-------------

Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy--the same guy who wrote No Country For Old Men, among others--The Road is one of those post-apocalyptic dystopian flicks that have become so popular lately (see The Book of Eli premiering a little over a month from now). Starring Viggo Mortensen and (very briefly) Charlize Theron, at its heart the movie is about a man protecting his son as the pair undertake a perilous journey across the nightmarish remnants of a destroyed America (by what, exactly, the movie is never specific). The story is bleak and unforgiving, surprising in its visceral intensity and poignant depiction of human struggle to survive despite the hopelessness of a world gone insane. Mortensen and the boy who portrays his character's son--young Australian actor, Kodi Smit-McPhee--do a phenomenal job wrestling with the source material's weighty moral issues. And the cinematography is simply gorgeous to boot! In the end, I thought this film pulled all the right strings, and personally enjoyed the simple yet effective plot progression. If you like your end-of-the-world flicks thoughtful and understated, this is the movie for you! I can definitely see this being an Oscar contender for next year. And, yes, the ending is sad . . . but not at all a surprise given the nature of the film. Kudos to the director, John Hillcoat!

Rating:   3.5 out of 5


THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
----------------------------------------

This was the highlight of our night. Despite the screaming kids and frigid, howling winds standing in line outside NYC's famous Ziegfeld theater, we had a blast. This is Disney the likes of which I have not seen since Aladdin -- deep and serious, silly and exuberant, tied together with truly memorable musical numbers. And the actors are all so WONDERFUL!!! Anika Noni Rose as the titular "princess", Tiana. Likewise Bruno Campos voicing the role of the frog prince, Naveen. Together these two are simply GOLD! Keith David, John Goodman, Terrence Howard, and Oprah Winfrey round out the other notables in what is truly a modern fairytale done with class and charm and all the right trappings of classic Disney. The setting of New Orleans circa the roaring 20s serves as a rather inspired setting, soaked in golds and heliotropes and awash in the unmistakable spitfire melodies of Jazz. But the real draw of this movie is the animation -- as well it should be! I was simply in love with the vibrant colors and lovingly rendered 2D drawings, a much welcomed departure from all the 3D CGI glut that has choked the children's animation scene as of late. I cannot sing this film's praises high enough. A definite treat for the whole family, in every way possible!

Rating:   5 out of 5

This Week At The Movies

The Movie Maven, Tara Perry, strikes again with this week's movies -- two of which have already seen wide release prior to this week.



Ms. Perry is definitely getting better at this. If this is your first time watching her segment, which is presented via the folks over at Mania.com, maybe the charm might be lost on you. But I think she's AWESOME! If you remember, I posted another one of these videos here earlier this month.

I'm watching Ninja Assassin for sure. I can't wait for that! I will also catch The Road. I've been waiting AGES for this movie, it seems. The teaser came out almost 2 years ago!

I'm not so sure I want to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. I don't know, the director Wes Anderson is hit or miss with me. I mean, I generally like his movies. Really, I do! But sometimes it feels like I'm not quite getting the punchline. The Royal Tenenbaums, I'm looking straight at YOU!

And besides, I have way too many OTHER movies to catch this Thanksgiving break. So much so that I don't even know where to begin. Let's see:

The Road
Ninja Assassin
Precious
The Blind Side
The Princess and the Frog
Michael Jackson's This Is It!
A Christmas Carol
New Moon
2012

And that's just this week alone! WTF? Admittedly, I can do without the last two on this list. After all, I pretty much reamed 2012 out here on this very blog. But I figure even a spectacularly dumb-science movie such as this has its merits, ala popcorn fun. Still don't truly expect me to be wasting my time on this one. It's more like a backup plan in case the other movies are sold out or not conveniently scheduled.

And New Moon -- eh? On the one hand I want to hate this movie so much because of all the teeny-bopper girlie nonsense. But, you know what? If I just ignore all that and watch it on its own merits, maybe I'll like it. It's hard for me to stay away from vampire movies, no matter how atrociously written the dialogue and the original books are. To this day, though, I still say that Anne Rice conquered this territory, and that the likes of Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris are just borrowing from the groundwork she laid down over three decades ago.

Anyway, both movies are a moot point. Realistically I only see myself catching 3 of the movies off this list: 1) The Blind Side; 2) The Road; and 3) Ninja Assassin. However, conceivably The Blind Side can be switched out for Precious and I wouldn't mind.

Oh and btw, if you want to see a trailer for The Blind Side, click on my entry from last month.

What do you think? Any of these films strike your fancy?

That Ole Jedi Mind Trick

LOL! I find this so hilarious! And I bet you will too:

Poor guy. I *almost* feel sorry for him. Tough breaks, dude. Maybe next time you won't be so easily bamboozled. Unfortunately, once Darth gets wind of this, he most likely won't have the benefit of a next time.

Such is life. Hope the hazard pay's GOOD at least.

God of War Is Just The Punchline

To follow-up on all the God of War love I've been professing here on the blog as of late--as evidenced here and here--I found an old PA comic strip from 2007, which coincided with the release of God of War II:

LOL!

Ah, Penny Arcade: thou art teh funny!

This just goes to show you how crazy insane and spectacular GoW II is. Particularly that first level in Rhodes, where Kratos has to battle the Colossus statue come to life. Check it for yourself.

Born With A Head For Numbers

One of the many science print magazines I subscribe to, Discover, had a very interesting column this month on human beings and the rather intuitive instinct we have for math. This goes deeper than the math we're taught in school--like algebra and calculus--to a more fundamental basic recognition. The article points out that, contrary to prior scientific belief, the basic skills for math is not something we learn cold, like riding a bike or learning to juggle---but is something hardwired into our very neurons! And that, despite major advancements in the field of mathematics within the last millennium, this instinctual skill has been around with us since long before the advent of civilization.

"Despite the late appearance of higher mathematics, there is growing evidence that numbers are not really a recent invention—not even remotely. [University of Rochester neuroscientist, Jessica] Cantlon and others are showing that our species seems to have an innate skill for math, a skill that may have been shared by our ancestors going back least 30 million years.

One sign that this skill truly is innate: Children enter the world with a head for numbers. Veronique Izard, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard University, demonstrated this in a recent study of newborns. She and her colleagues played cooing sounds to babies, with varying numbers of sounds in each trial. The babies were then shown a set of shapes on a computer screen, and the scientists measured how long the babies gazed at it. (The length of time a baby spends looking at an object reflects its interest.) Newborns consistently looked longer at the screen when the number of shapes matched the number of sounds they had just heard. For example, a baby who heard “tuuu, tuuu, tuuu, tuuu” would look the longest at four shapes, less at eight, and still less at twelve. Izard’s study suggests that newborns already have a basic understanding of numbers. Moreover, their concept of numbers is abstract; they can transfer it across the senses from sounds to pictures."

Wow!

I said it before and I'll say it again: the human mind is a truly magnificent construction. Except, according to this article, we're not the only animals with this trait built into our brains. Say what?

If you want to read the article in full, click on this link.

Oh, I'd Like To See Someone Try!

Today I read the transcript of a panel between Paul Krugman, an economist and New York Times columnist, and noted sci-fi author extraordinaire, Charles Stross, about what the world will look like 30 years from now. The panel discussion took place at this year's World Convention in Montreal. You can read the entire transcript at Edwin Steussy's blog, The Steussy Ranch, by clicking here.

Anyway, Charlie fascinates me to no end. His books are simply mind-bogglingly FANTASTIC! Particularly the way he presents his futuristic technologies and trends. This guy is the very definition of the term "futurist."

But during the panel he mentioned something that just blew my mind:

"It’s not a great cognitive leap from aeroplanes capable of carrying loads to bombers. It’s a hell of a leap from [the] idea of getting a cheap camera chip and adding it to a mobile phone and coming up with a phenomenon of “Happy Slapping”. I don’t know if everyone knows what Happy Slapping is, it isn’t Slapping, and it isn’t Happy, but its where kids basically find some random stranger [and] beat them up while one of their friends videos it with their camera and then upload it to YouTube. As social phenomenon go, that’s not one you can predict from the input technology."

WTF? Are you serious? I looked this bullshit "happy slapping" up on YouTube, and turns out he was right!

HOLY SHIT!

Let me tell you, I *WISH* some little Brit punk would try this on me! You can bet your ass THAT'S going to be a video they won't be putting up on YouTube. I would absolutely murder anyone who tried some crap like this. God, I hate these hood wannabes -- let them come to my little slice of the Bronx and see how far they get with that sham.

Unfortunately, it looks like this kind of retarded activity isn't restricted to the U.K. Seems it's happening all across Europe. Which means, of course, that it's only a matter of time before it comes to the U.S. And yes, I know it's already happening here. . . just not as wide-spread yet.

Anyway, if you clicked on the YouTube link a little further up, check out an example of Happy Slapping gone wrong -- i.e., not exactly the outcome the perpetrators were expecting. This one here shows two Russian lowlifes waiting for a couple to pass by to spring their trap. Except, the boyfriend happens to be a real brawler and fights back . . . to devastating effect for the two idiots. Oopsie!

I swear, dumb people. Why must they waste up space breathing?

Reliving The Memories

I mentioned the other day that the God of War Collection was now out in stores, providing PS3 owners with the chance to play the first two games in the series in preparation for the release of God of War 3 next spring.

Well, I've been playing the first game again over the last few days, this time in unbelievable high-def quality. Well, okay, I'm being a little over-enthused here. The HD stuff is nice, but the game still looks and plays like last gen. Which is okay, no one said it wouldn't. However, compared to the actual PS2 copy, which I do own, there is definitely a noticeable improvement. It sucks that the cutscenes are not in high-def, though. But what can you do? The cutscenes were always ahead of their time back in 2005 anyway, so they don't look THAT bad. And it's more important that the gameplay itself is at 720p HD anyway. The 2x anti-aliasing helps make the standard 480p cutscenes look smoother at least, which is something.

Anyway, playing my favorite game of the PS2-era again just got me thinking of all the fond memories I had back in the spring of 2005. As I mentioned before, things were just starting to look up for me when this game came along. I had a new lease on life, and I was in fact getting married later that year. And all these crazy emotions going on during this time period just came flooding back while revisiting the game this week. Wow!

See why gaming shouldn't be dismissed so flippantly by parents and other non-gamers? It really can have an important place in someone's life. I'm living proof!

Anyway, in honor of my reawakened passion for all things God of War related (I've been listening to the soundtracks continuously now), I'm embedding the two most popular 30-second tv spots that used to air during the first game's release. I don't know if you can tell just from looking at these how much AWESOME was conveyed about the game, but at the time these were HUGE. The fact that these commercials would play so many times, in addition to positive word-of-mouth, definitely had to contribute to the record-breaking sales which followed:

"TELL THE GOD OF WAR I AM HIS NO LONGER!"



"ARIES!!!"


It's friggin great how they used the in-game recordings--both the dialogue AND the musical score--to accentuate the footage. Can you see why I love the soundtrack so much?

Where Do I Sign Up To Beta This Game?

Because I think this just might be the *REAL* military simulator we've all been waiting for. If you recall, I just played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. But this . . . this, I predict, is where it's going to be at. This will show gamers EXACTLY what it's like to be in the U.S. military -- oohrah!

Click below to see the awesomeness for yourself (courtesy of those wacky folks over at The Onion):

New Blog Addition, Now With More Sharing

Added a new ShareThis widget to the blog:

Not a big deal, but if anyone reads an entry of mine that they wish to share (either on their own blog or, more commonly, on a social networking site like Facebook or Twitter) -- now you can simply mouse over this same icon at the bottom of each post and, VOILA!

I'll be looking to change the general appearance and/or layout of this site sometime in the near future, too. The severity of the change depends entirely on my mood at the time of implementation. Chances are, I might not feel much like messing with things, in which case the update will be minimally cosmetic at best.

We shall see.

God of War Collection Out Now!

It's finally here! Although this isn't such a big deal in the grand scheme of all things video games, today marks the release of the God of War Collection for the PlayStation 3 console. The GoW collection is a bundle consisting of GoW1 and GoW2, which were first released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2005 and 2007, respectively.

The difference this time around, however, is that both games and all their attendant bonus content will be on one single Blu-ray disc. The gameplay portions will be sporting shiny new and updated HD visuals to boot, making the games look far more stunning than ever before.

For those with high-definition television sets (and if you own a PS3, you'd be pretty insane not to have one), this means you'll be able to play the games in full 720p and running at a nice 60 frames-per-second clip. For reference, the previous two games were in standard 480p resolution and only ran at 30 fps. So this means the games will not only look crisp and totally GORGEOUS, but that the character of Kratos will respond that much faster during gameplay. Oh, and there's also 2x anti-aliasing at work, to help round out the rougher, pixelated edges of last generation rendering. So textures in both games will look smoother as well!

For those ignorant to just what the hell is the God of War franchise, a quick recap of the story: Kratos is a Spartan commander in a war against encroaching barbarian hordes from the North, when on the verge of death on the battlefield, he pledges his body and soul to the Greek god of war, Aries. The god vanquishes his enemies and, in return, Kratos becomes his dread lieutenant on Earth, wiping out whole armies and communities in honor of his liege. Until one day, while decimating the followers of Aries' hated sister, Athena, Kratos is tricked into murdering his own wife and young daughter. He learns that the trick was a ploy of his master, the titular god of war, in order to secure Kratos' full attention and loyalty to him.

Kratos, of course, does not take too kindly to this news. In an abrupt reversal, he curses Aries' name and pledges revenge, seeking help from Athena herself and becoming the godess's new vassal for justice. A promotional leading up to the release of the first game adequately shows the full, unadulterated hatred Kratos has for his former master, and is one of my all-time favorite game trailers:

Now, I already own both games on my old, boxed-up PS2. So why should I buy this new collection? Truth is, I really shouldn't. And, you know, normally I wouldn't.

However, here's something you might not know: the first God of War came out at a very bad time in my life, when things were looking bleak and depressing. So much so that I had given up video games. Yeah, no shit! I'd put off gaming for half a year, when suddenly one day I decided to change my life around and to make things work for me rather than being passive. Along this time, when Winter was just starting to relinquish to Spring, one of my best friends stopped by and showed me this new Sony exclusive game. I had seen the commercials, but just thought it was another brainless action game with no heart.

Boy was I wrong!

God of War changed me; along with my new lease on life, it renewed my faith in video games. Which was no small feat considering how staid the action gaming genre had become over the years. But this one game would quickly rise to the top of my list of favorites, and is what I consider the best title of not just the PS2, but the entire last generation of games. The amount of sheer brilliance in all aspects of GoW--gameplay, story, voice-acting--cannot be overstated. If you were a gamer back during the PS2 era, you owed it to yourself to have experienced God of War. Same thing went for the sequel, which was just as good if not better than the first.

Truly both games are masterpiece gems for Sony and the PlayStation brand. And because they helped changed my life around, I owe it to myself to own them in the best possible quality around. Since I know both titles forwards and backwards, and can play 'em with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back, this will be a pleasurable trip down memory lane for me. And full Trophy support only seals the deal--OH YEAH!!!

The God of War collection releases today, Nov. 17th, to prepare gamers for the coming of God of War 3 on the PS3 sometime in March of next year. Ign.com has a review of the collection up here if you want to check it out.

In the meantime, here is a new commercial for the collection that--try as it might--simply cannot display the full amount of awesome to be had on both games. You really have to play them to understand, but maybe this small glimpse will be enough to whet your appetite:

You People Suck!

Thanks a lot, movie-going public. Way to ruin my hopes of a box office bomb. After talking major trash against the latest Roland Emmerich doomsday flick, 2012, both here and here, looks like the unassuming masses ignored my entreaties and flocked to their theaters in droves. Click on the article below to read the exact numbers:

2012 Makes Ridiculous Bank Worldwide.

Bleh! Now I'm sick to my stomach. Why, people, WHY? Why do you reward such shite? Oh well, that's okay. I spent my weekend watching Stargate and Watchmen on Blu-ray instead.

So, yeah, I automatically win. (nyah, nyah!)

That Which Attracts . . .

Over at my friend's, Tarrell Childs, blog, he deconstructs just what it is that he finds attractive in the opposite sex. You can read about it by clicking here.

I don't have quite as much to say about the subject, because it's dawned on me that I actually have very few "rules" when it comes to that which attracts me. I don't have a laundry list of specific attributes the way a lot of my female friends do, it seems. But, that being said, even I must admit that I have a few archetypes I tend to base my decisions on:

In matters physical, I'm not very picky. Tall, short, black, white . . . makes no difference. I'm not particularly all that attractive to muscular women, or women that use even moderate amounts of makeup. I prefer plain, down-to-earth looks. The closer she comes to looking like a model, the less interested I am.

I am more attracted to skinny women than overweight ones, however, only because it's personally important to me for all people--men and women alike--to follow simple health guidelines. It's one of the few biases I have.

Some people prefer one specific "race" or color of skin--the closer to their own, the better. Not me. I find such criteria petty and base. As long as she's healthy and down-to-earth, that's all that matters to me. It probably has to do with the fact that I belong to no one group of people. Neither of my parents' people accept me for who I am, so I belong to no specific pride-set. And because of this, I'm open to all people. Strange how that works, huh?

As for non-physical traits? I've already alluded to some of them, but here goes anyway:

I prefer women who don't obsess over their looks, i.e.: they have more important things to do with their time than spend 2 hours in front of the mirror applying makeup and trying to look "just right."

Quiet, shy, or reserved types over loud, confrontational or bigoted ones. Having an opinion and not being afraid to express it does not count as the latter set, and is something I highly value in a companion, in fact. Hot-heads and women who lose their cool are definite turn-offs.

Tomboys over prissy, Barbie doll debutantes. If you grew up playing house with your dollies and dreaming of being a homemaker . . . eh, no!

Women who can be the equal of a man, and not subservient to one. And, no, quiet or reserved types are not automatically subservient. There is a difference.

And, lastly: intelligence! And I don't mean intelligent in a superior, stuffy, or academic sort of way. Just someone who is not afraid to confront their own shortcomings, accept them, and then find a way to overcome them. This is true intelligence to me. Also, the ability to appreciate subtle humor is a must. This is my personal litmus test of intelligence, in fact. A good sense of humor is the key to seeing through life's bullshit. If you don't have one, you're doomed to suffer fools eternally. And nobody wants that.

P.S. -- If you go around spouting to all who can hear about how "smart" you are. Um, no. Chances are you're the opposite. True intelligence is knowing you don't have to prove it.

So there you go, a little insight into what I find attractive in others. I don't have that one set, specific visual in mind. Not that one image in my head that all women have to measure up to. I'm very relaxed in my criteria.

Of course, that all being said, it's no surprise that my wife measures up to ALL of these traits. All the positive ones, I mean. :) And while I wouldn't look for her exact twin if we were ever to go our separate ways . . . I'd be hard-pressed to do any better!

Double Dip Time - Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut

Well, well, the day has come. I knew when I purchased the Director's Cut DVD of my favorite film of 2009--Watchmen--that I would most likely be double dipping when they eventually released an even longer version jam-packed with even more supplemental goodies. And sure enough, that day has arrived:


I hate doing it, but I just had to double dip this time. I mean, come on! Just look at it. How could I resist? To make it a more justifiable purchase, I decided to splurge on the Blu-ray version this time. In that sense it will be like watching the movie new, this time on my HD-TV.

This four-disc box set includes both the original Theatrical Release (in standard format) as well as the Director's Cut (blu-ray), with what seems to be an additional 40 minutes tacked on to the latter. The reason? This time, in addition to a few minor extensions, we're finally getting the graphic novel within a graphic novel--Tales of the Black Freighter--which will be woven into the story line the way it was always intended.

The metacomic "Tales of the Black Freighter" was released as a standalone DVD a few months back, gorgeously drawn and narrated by Gerard Butler. But I've never seen the product, so it's going to be nice to have it included within the actual movie for the sake of purists like myself.

The other 3 discs include the aforementioned bonus features, a copy of the "motion" comic--which is basically a moving version of still frames taken from the original graphic novel and set to a narrator and basic sound effects/music--and the now ubiquitous digital copy of the film. You'll also be able to connect to Facebook through BD-Live, though I don't see much use for that particular function. Maybe I'll change my mind.


*Note:* The standard DVD version of this same box set includes 5 discs instead of 4, only because they could not fit the entirety of the motion comic on 1 DVD-ROM disc the way they can with the more spacious BD-ROM disc. Yeah, it's that HUGE. Run time for the motion comic is a whopping 5 and a half hours (325 mins) long! Holy Christ, folks! Again, like "Tales of the Black Freighter," the motion comic has been previously released on DVD. It's just nice for me to have it in one place with this box set since I never did get around to purchasing the standalone version.

If you're a huge fan of Watchmen (the movie or the comics, or both) you owe it to yourself to have this in your collection. Especially if, unlike me, you were more patient and refrained from purchasing the Director's Cut a few months back. If I had known that an even bigger release was destined to hit shelves so soon, I would have waited, too. Oopsie on my part!

Glad I'm Not The Only One

If you were around last week, you may remember I pretty much bitch-slapped this weekend's upcoming movie release, 2012, and ripped it a new one in the process. If not, click here for a refresher.

Well I'm glad to see that most intelligent people seem to be agreeing with me, as review after review has been lambasting this terrible dreck left and right. Even Tara Perry--aka, the Movie Maven--has expressed her disgust on what is sure to be a box office success amongst the dead-heads, waste-of-space teen male demographics this film is really aimed at. Check out the latest webisode of "The Movie Maven" below, in which Tara gushes over the DVD release of this year's Star Trek hit, before giving her not-so-candid opinion of Roland Emmerich's latest stinker. Her reaction says it all:



LOL! That's right, Tara! Don't even dignify this piece of crap with a mention. I wish there was some way I could organize a boycott of this movie, but kids need their mindless entertainment, they do.

*sigh*

Yet Another Remake . . .

Since so many of my cherished childhood movies are being remade or re-imagined, why not add another to the list, eh? This time, it's Clash of the Titans. And it looks like they got none other than rising badass Aussie star, Sam Worthington, to play the main role of Perseus, portrayed in the original by Harry Hamlin.

I've actually known about this for some time. And while I can definitely see the success of the film 300 playing a bigger role in the decision to greenlight this, I can't say I'm too disappointed by the prospect. Which is a shocker. I usually HATE remakes. But if done right, Clash can benefit from a more modern retrofit, I think.

Anyway, here's a teaser for the movie, which will hit theaters next March. I'm not a big fan of the music choice for the trailer. Sucks pretty bad, but hopefully it won't be an indication of the film itself:



I hope this spurs a kickass DVD release of the original, though. I've been dying to purchase it for my home collection, but am disappointed by the barebones version out in stores. It's time they release a better disc of the original classic, and now's as good a time as any.

Guess It's All In The Motivation

I'm still doing much needed research for my upcoming practice novel, as first explained here, when it dawned on me today that I'm having way too much fun with this. Being knee-deep in old Eastern European politics and historical documents and maps is made all the more exciting, it seems, when doing it for one's own edification.

I know: no DUH, right?

I find myself asking: why couldn't you be this studious and dedicated back in college? I mean, don't get me wrong, I paid my fair dues putting in the countless hours of necessary research, photocopying, hilighting, and indexing and all that jazz. But always with a begrudging sense of injustice at the unfairness of the universe. Real "whoa is me!" despair, I'm talking. For me, research was always a painful chore I endured to turn in a grade-A paper. Or, at least, a solid B or B+ (never got anything below a B-).

But this, this is something different. This is research on a writing project I choose to inflict on myself, covering a subject I'm genuinely interested in. It's all about me wanting to tell the best story I possibly can, in a setting as well-informed as can be managed without sacrificing all the hallmarks of engaging fiction that one must keep in mind.

So, I'm reading various different sources about the real historical Vlad the Impaler and the political climate around Europe during his time . . . and it's become a natural thing for me to catalogue and index all the fun, helpful facts I'm coming across.

Imagine that? I'll make me a serious researcher yet!

It's all about the proper motivation. What is droll and life-draining during formal education becomes engaging and thought-provoking when undertaken under one's own impetus, time, and direction. There's a lesson here somewhere, and I'm just too lazy to think it all the way through.

I guess I'm saying that school is all well and good for obtaining a piece of paper that legitimizes your place as a working cog in the society machine, but that actual self-enlightenment is the true reward.

Knowledge sought freely, rather than forced upon the receiver, evolves into wisdom everlasting.

Sorry, I know I just went all Hallmark-y on you readers. It won't happen [much] again. Promise.