This site is updated Thursday afternoon with a new article about an artistic pursuit generally considered to be beneath consideration. James Schellenberg probes science-fiction, Carol Borden draws out the best in comics, Chris Szego dallies with romance and Ian Driscoll stares deeply into the screen. Click here for their bios and individual takes on the gutter. Our Guest Stars shine hereWhile the writers have considerable enthusiasm for their subjects, they don't let it numb their critical faculties. Tossing away the shield of journalistic objectivity and refusing the shovel of fannish boosterism, they write in the hopes of starting honest and intelligent discussions about these oft-enjoyed but rarely examined artforms. Contact us here.
 Recent Features
AX: An Edged Collection
 There are reasons I left alternative comics for superheroes and there are reasons I keep going back. They each have their wonder and joy; they each have their irritating and sadly heartbreaking points. Nothing's perfect, not Superman, not Jimmy Corrigan. But there is a way to find comics that you love and avoid ones that make you disike comics: collections. I've gone alternative again, even for just a while, with Top Shelf's AX: Alternative Manga (2010), compiled by AX Magazine editor Matsushiro Asakawa and edited by Sean Michael Wilson.
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Author's Cut
 The director’s cut is a familiar term in the world of film, but an equivalent “author’s cut” in the realm of
books is not a widespread notion. Why might that be?
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By Any Other Name
 Despite being the largest piece of the trade publishing pie,
there’s a lot of good stuff to read out there that isn’t Romance. And I try to get through as much of it
as possible*. Funnily enough,
though, much of the other fiction I read tends to have some sort of romance in
it somewhere. Sometimes it might
be between secondary characters.
Sometimes it’s in the background.
Occasionally the relationship doesn’t work out.
Continue reading...
Forgetful?
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Notes Archives
Revenge of the Lady Killers
Lady killers get their revenge in this Vaultcast from Vault of Horror interviewing I Spit on Your Grave director Steven Moore and actress Sarah Butler. Vault of Horror also debates misogyny in the film with producer of both the original and the remake, Meir Zarchi. Meanwhile, ladies serve up their revenge hot in the game “Hey Baby,” a first person shooter where guys who harass ladies on the street are the target.
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"Revenge of the Lady Killers"
Tags: 1970s , 2010s , feminism , games , gender , horror , movies , rape , rape revenge , shooters , the ladies , vengeance
5 Annoying Movie Trends
“Once again, a [film-making] technique progresses from ‘innovative’ to ‘standard procedure’ to ‘OK, please stop doing that.’” (More teal and orange madness, here).
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"5 Annoying Movie Trends"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , film industry , film making , industry , lists , movies , sfx
RIP, Gloria Stuart
Gloria Stuart has died at 100. Most of the media remembers her as the elder Rose in Titanic. The Gutter remembers her in the James Whale classic, The Old Dark House. The New York Times obituary discusses her many accomplishments outside film here.
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"RIP, Gloria Stuart"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , art , film history , Gloria Stuart , history , industry , movies , painting , printmaking , RIP
Victorian Pulp Fiction
Yellowback novels were pulpy Victorian reading. Emory University has a bunch of them for you to download. (via @houseinrlyeh)
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"Victorian Pulp Fiction"
Tags: 1880s , 1890s , downloads , London , online , pulps , UK , Victorian , Walter Besant
Camera Obscura Sneak Preview
Daywalt Fear Factory has posted a little taste of the upcoming series, Camera Obscura. And, yes, that’s Jack Klugman.
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"Camera Obscura Sneak Preview"
Tags: 2010s , demons , horror , Jack Klugman , online , photography , video , web series
Red Eagle / Gold Eagle
With all the excitement generating in the internetosphere because of the trailer for Wisit Sasanatieng’s upcoming Red Eagle: The Hero Never Dies, now seems like a good time to post this trailer for Insee Thong (Golden Eagle) and 4DK’s review of it.
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"Red Eagle / Gold Eagle"
Tags: 1970s , 2010s , Mitr Chaibancha , movies , Red Eagle , superheroes , Thailand , trailers , video , Wisit Sasanatieng
Little Batman
The narrative frame and theme are heavy handed by the actual adventures are pretty sweet in “The Adventures of Little Batman.”
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"Little Batman"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , Batman , children , fandom , geekery , superheroes , video
Marvel Kitties!
M.O.D.O.K. becomes a “Machine Designed Only for Kitties” in this gallery of Marvel characters as cats. Other favorites: Galactus and the Punisher. (Thanks, Dave!)
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"Marvel Kitties!"
Tags: 2010s , animals , art , cats , comics , Galactus , M.O.D.O.K. , Marvel , scans , Spider-Man , superheroes , supervillainy , the Punisher
13 Assassins Reign!
It’s assassins galore with John Woo and Su Chao-Pin’s Reign of Assassins and Takashi Miike’s remake of the classic chanbara, Thirteen Assassins.
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"13 Assassins Reign!"
Tags: 2010s , assassins , chanbara , China , fantasy , historical , history , Hong Kong , Japan , jidaigeki , John Woo , Jung Woo-Sung , Kelly Lin , Koji Yakusho , Michelle Yeoh , movies , Su Chao-Pin , swords , Taiwan , Takashi Miike , Takayuki Yamada , wuxia , Yusuke Iseya
Space Battleship Yamato
Live action Space Battleship Yamato trailer!
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"Space Battleship Yamato"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 2010s , anime , Japan , Leiji Matsumoto , manga , Meisa Kuroki , movies , space , Space Battleship Yamato , space opera , Takashi Yamazaki , Takuya Kimura , trailers , tv , video
Japanese Trailer for Studio Ghibli Game
Here’s the Japanese trailer for the upcoming Studio Ghibli game: Ni no Kuni Shiroki Seihai no Joou. (via Comics Alliance)
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"Japanese Trailer for Studio Ghibli Game"
Tags: 2010s , animation , console , games , Japan , Studio Ghibli , trailers , video
25 Or 6 To A Better Tomorrow?
This trailer for the Korean remake of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow has Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” going through my head. (thanks, brian!)
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"25 Or 6 To A Better Tomorrow?"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , action , Chicago , Chow Yun-Fat , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , John Woo , Korea , music , remakes , trailers , video
Samurai Dead Rising
Norio Shioyama worked with Capcom to create a samurai short promoting Dead Rising 2. Very pretty.
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"Samurai Dead Rising"
Tags: 2010s , action , alternate history , animation , anime , Capcom , chanbara , games , horror , Japan , jidaigeki , marketing , martial arts , Norio Shioyama , samurai , swords , undead , video , zombies
Insidious
A clip from Insidious, the creepy new ghost movie from James Wan (Saw) and Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity). (via both FearNET and Dread Central)
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"Insidious"
Tags: 2010s , clip , festivals and conventions , ghosts , haunted house , horror , James Wan , Jason Blum , Midnight Madness , video
What Does the Protagonist Want?
What do the Venture Bros. want? Todd Alcott asks and has some interesting answers.
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"What Does the Protagonist Want?"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , action , adventure , animation , childhood , children , criticism , parody , robots , satire , tv , Venture Bros.
RIP, Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy star of the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers has died at 96. Here’s an obituary and a clip.
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"RIP, Kevin McCarthy"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Cold War , horror , invaders , Kevin McCarthy , movies , RIP , science fiction , television , Twilight Zone
The Imp
Daniel Raeburn’s excellent comic series, The Imp, is now available as a pdf.
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"The Imp"
Tags: 2000s , Chris Ware , comics , Daniel Clowes , Daniel Raeburn , downloads , exploitation , Jack Chick , Mexico , online , parody , pulps , satire
New Kaiju to be Shaken Down
Grady Hendrix, formerly of Variety Asia’s much loved Kaiju Shakedown blog, has his own blog. Go enjoy the snappy writing!
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"New Kaiju to be Shaken Down"
Tags: 2010s , Grady Hendrix , movies
Midnight Madness 2010 Trailers
Here are trailers for 6 of the 10 movies at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program this year: Fubar II; The Vanishing on 7th Street; The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman; Red Nights; Fire of Conscience; and Stake Land. (SUPER, Insidious, Bunraku and John Carpenter’s The Ward don’t have trailers yet).
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"Midnight Madness 2010 Trailers"
Tags: action , Alberta , Brad Anderson , Calgary , Canada , Carrie Ng , cars , China , Christian Haydensen , Dante Lam , end times , festivals and conventions , France , ghosts , giallo , guns , historicals , Hong Kong , horror , hospitals , Jim Mickle , John Leguizamo , Julien Carbon , kung fu , Laurent Courtiaud , Leon Lai , martial arts , Michael Dowse , Midnight Madness , mma , movies , New York , Richie Ren , road trips , sex , superheroes , Thandie Newton , thrillers , trailers , undead , vampires , vengeance , video , Wuershan , wuxia
Star Wars: The Solo Adventures
Neat 3D animated adventures— “Star Wars: The Solo Adventures.”
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"Star Wars: The Solo Adventures"
Tags: 2010s , 3D , animation , assassins , cg , fandom , festivals and conventions , Han Solo , mercenaries , robots , science fiction , space , space opera , Star Wars , video
Chris Claremont, In Summary
Jason Powell looked at every issue of Chris Claremont’s run on the X-men. Every issue. (Sorry about the previously missing link).
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"Chris Claremont, In Summary"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2010s , Chris Claremont , Marvel , mutants , superheroes , Xmen
Akira Ifukube Conducts
Akira Ifukube conducts the Osaka Symphony in a selection of his Godzilla works.
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"Akira Ifukube Conducts"
Tags: Akira Ifukube , cyborgs , giant monsters , Godzilla , Japan , kaiju , music , Osaka , robots , science fiction , soundtracks , video
The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman
Violence + cooking. It just doesn’t get any better. The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman.
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"The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman"
Tags: 2010s , action , China , comedy , festivals and conventions , food , historicals , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , Midnight Madness , trailers , video , Wuershan , wuxia
Cinema Overdrive
Wicked posters for Raleigh, North Carolina’s Cinema Overdrive film series.
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"Cinema Overdrive"
Tags: 2010s , art , movies , North Carolina , posters , Raleigh , the South
Women Read Comics in Public
Here are some pictures of the ladies reading comics for Read Comics in Public Day. As Gail Simone writes, “Take note everybody in comics!” (For the record, Carol read Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 5 on a sidewalk bench, but there’s no photo). Continue reading
"Women Read Comics in Public"
Tags: 2010s , comics , community , diversity , fandom , feminisim , Gail Simone , gender , photography , the ladies
48 x 61
48 vs. 61 in Rintaro and Katsushiro Otomo’s excellent bicycle racing short where the racers look kinda like Rintaro and Otomo. Also, damn fine music and possible steampunkery.
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"48 x 61"
Tags: 2000s , animation , anime , cycling , Japan , Katsushiro Otomo , Rintaro , sports , versus , video
-U-
Klingon opera has finally happened. Get an earful at Cinematical. (The musical part begins at about 2:15).
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"-U-"
Tags: 2010s , aliens , fandom , geekery , Klingon Terran Research Ensemble , Klingons , opera , science fiction , space , Star Trek , video
RIP, Kihachiro Kawamoto
It’s a sad week for animation with the passing of Satoshi Kon and now Kihachiro Kawamoto. A student of Jiri Trnka, Kawamoto created beautiful stop motion puppet animation grounded in Japanese bunraku and Noh theater. Here’s his short, “Oni / The Demon.”
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"RIP, Kihachiro Kawamoto"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , animation , Czech Republic , Japan , Jiri Trnka , Kihachiro Kawamoto , puppets , shorts , stop motion , tv , video
Supervillain Erotica
Evan Munday has been working on a calendar of supervillain erotica. You can get an eyeful here.
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"Supervillain Erotica"
Tags: 2010s , comics , Dr. Doom , erotica , Evan Munday , pin-ups , sex , supervillainy
RIP, Satoshi Kon
Creator of Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent and Paprika, Satoshi Kon has died at 46. In memoriam, Midnight Eye’s substantial interview with Kon, here. Updated: Satoshi Kon wrote a farewell.
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"RIP, Satoshi Kon"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , anime , Japan , manga , RIP , Satoshi Kon , surrealism
Gotham Girls Episodes
Some kind, considerate fan saved and uploaded episodes of the old web series, Gotham Girls. And they’re right here.
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"Gotham Girls Episodes"
Tags: 2000s , animation , Batgirl , Catwoman , comics , crime , Gotham Girls , Harley Quinn , online , Poison Ivy , Renee Montoya , superheroes , supervillainy , the ladies , video , web series , webisodes
Kung Fu Walls
A kung fu novel was found written of the walls of an abandoned apartment. How outsider art is that?
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"Kung Fu Walls"
Tags: 2010s , books , China , fantasy , Hong Kong , kung fu , wuxia
Zombies in the News
Seven zombies had their day in court and struck a blow for zombie rights.
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"Zombies in the News"
Tags: 2010s , geekery , horror , Midwest , Minneapolis , police , undead , zombies
Trock On!
Trock on, Chameleon Circuit, with your songs about Daleks and angelic statues who only move in the dark.
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"Trock On!"
Tags: 2000s , Christoperh Eccleston , cyborgs , David Tennant , Doctor Who , fandom , geekery , music , nerdcore , robots , science fiction , time travel , UK , video
Comics in Trouble
Both the webcomic Achewood and the comics publisher, Slave Labor Graphics, are seeking donations.
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"Comics in Trouble"
Tags: 2010s , capitalism , comics , industry , strips , webcomics
Great Comics That Never Happened Annual #1
The Comics Alliance has gathered together “The Great Comics That Never Happened” all in one place. Thrill to “Aliens vs. Predator vs. Ted Nugent!” Sigh with “Young M.O.D.O.K. Romance!” Discover the “Crisis in the 36 Chamber” with the JLA and the Wu-Tang Clan!
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"Great Comics That Never Happened Annual #1"
Tags: 2010s , comics , covers , event comics , hip hop , music , parody , romance , scans , superheroes , team-ups , Ted Nugent , Wu Tang Clan
From Arthur To Orin
LBFA Presents: The History of Aquaman Explained!
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"From Arthur To Orin"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Aquaman , comcs history , comics , continuity , event comics , Golden Age , Silver Age , superheroes
Afghan Notebook
Ted Rall documents his travels through Afghanistan in Afghan Notebook. (He also gets himself added to the list of artists like Joe Sacco, Guy Delisle and Emmanuel Guibert).
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"Afghan Notebook"
Tags: 2010s , Afghanistan , autobiography , biography , comics , dailies , journalism , strips , Ted Rall , war
Gary Kurtz Strikes Back (by Saying Things)
Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back producer Gary Kurtz is profiled at the L.A. Times. He has some things to say about the franchise and toys.
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"Gary Kurtz Strikes Back (by Saying Things)"
Tags: 2010s , film history , film making , Gary Kurtz , George Lucas , industry , science fiction , space , space opera , Star Wars
Sunday of The Living Dead
A Unitarian minister preaches a sermon with the theme of “zombies.”
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"Sunday of The Living Dead"
Tags: 2010s , horror , Michigan , Midwest , religion , undead , Unitarianism , zombies
Steampunkery
Another respectable media outlet takes a look at steampunkery.
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"Steampunkery"
Tags: 2010s , alternate history , alternate reality , community , fandom , fashion , festivals and conventions , futurism , geekery , steampunk , UK
Scott Pilgrim Trailer, recreated.
The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World trailer recreated with panels from the graphic novels.
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"Scott Pilgrim Trailer, recreated."
Tags: 2010s , action , Bryan Lee O'Malley , Canada , comics , fandom , games , geekery , martial arts , romance , Scott Pilgrim , Toronto , trailers , video
Old Timeyness
Travel through pop culture history a premake of Marvel’s Avengers (sneak peek of Emma Peel included), faux 1911 silent animated shorts from Red Dead Redemption and Lando Calrissian as Blackstar Warrior—a Blaxploitation film set in the Star Wars universe.
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"Old Timeyness"
Tags: 1910s , 1950s , 1970s , 2010s , Billy Dee Williams , Blaxploitation , comics , games , Marvel , parody , science fiction , Star Wars , superheroes , time travel , video , Westerns
8 Bit Girl
Attention chiptune, electronica and nerdcore fans, Geek Girl Violet reviews equinoxe’s “Evolution (8 Bit Girl)” and provides tracks.
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"8 Bit Girl"
Tags: 2010s , audio , chiptune , electronica , equinoxe , games , music , nerdcore
The Snake and the Magician
Scans of “The Snake and the Magician” from Mike Mignola’s upcoming collection, The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects. (Thanks, Dustin!)
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"The Snake and the Magician"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , comics , Mike Mignola , scans , shorts
Venture Bros. 4-II
Adult Swim has a trailer for the new season of Venture Bros. (If you’re having trouble seeing it, try using Hotspot Shield).
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"Venture Bros. 4-II"
Tags: 2010s , action , adventure , animation , parody , trailers , Venture Bros. , video
Shaft vs. Scarface
Shaft vs. Scarface, and other comics based on (mostly 80s) movies that should be.
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"Shaft vs. Scarface"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 2010s , action , Blaxploitation , Cold War , comics , end times , exploitation , futurism , homage , horror , movies , parody , romance
Frankenstein Roams the Fairgrounds
The ever-excellent Frankensteinia looks at a time when Frankenstein’s creation roamed the fairgrounds.
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"Frankenstein Roams the Fairgrounds"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , carnival , Frankenstein , history , horror , undead
L.A.R.P. (Live Avatar Role Playing)
Video footage of the Na’vi People of Hometree, Wisconsin.
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"L.A.R.P. (Live Avatar Role Playing) "
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , Avatar , fandom , games , geekery , invaders , LARP , parody , RPGs , science fiction , space opera , video
The Pond
Before the CIA there was The Pond, and it seems like something Warren Ellis made up: “The head of the Pond was Col. John V. Grombach, a radio producer,
businessman and ex-Olympic boxer who kept a small black poodle under his
desk.” Continue reading
"The Pond"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , CIA , Cold War , communism , history , spies , WWII
Toys and Their Boys
Moises Chiullan has a lovely piece about mortality and Toy Story 3.
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"Toys and Their Boys"
Tags: 2010s , animation , movies , Pixar , Toy Story , toys
Ecstasy
Ennio Morricone conducts an orchestra, choir and two soloists in a hair-raising, in a good way, performance of “Ecstasy of Gold” from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
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"Ecstasy"
Tags: 2000s , Ennio Morricone , Italy , music , soundtracks , video , Westerns
Chewbacca’s Fierce Mount
Chewbacca rides a squirrel into battle against the Nazis. It’s a painting. Really.
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"Chewbacca's Fierce Mount"
Tags: 1940s , 2010s , alternate history , art , fandom , geekery , giant animals , Nazis , science fiction , Star Wars , WWII
Yokai by Gojin Ishihara
The ever-wondrous Pink Tentacle is waving around creepy children’s book illustrations by Gojin Ishihara. They’re like the little lure on an angler fish and I’m totally going for it.
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"Yokai by Gojin Ishihara"
Tags: 1970s , art , demons , Gojin Ishihara , horror , illustration , Japan , monsters , picture books , scans , yokai
Cthulhurotica
Share your most tentacular and… tentual?… erotica with Cthulhurotica. I bet they’d even take your H.P. Lovecraft/August Derleth slash fiction…
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"Cthulhurotica"
Tags: Cthulhu , erotica , fandom , geekery , horror , Lovecraft , porn , sex
Watch Your Head
Bladewood provides us all a much needed timeline of the events in the Doctor Who season/series 5 finale. Watch your head, please.
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"Watch Your Head"
Tags: 2010s , Doctor Who , end times , fandom , geekery , scans , time , time line , time travel , tv , UK
Sharktopus Trailer
Sharktopus is now a film, but my heart is still with Bearsharktopus.
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"Sharktopus Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , animals , cephalopods , geekery , horror , movies , science fiction , sharks , trailers , underwater , video
Exquisite Project
Sketchkrieg! has created a kind of exquisite corpse with each member doing a panel in a continuing story. You can see the madness here.
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"Exquisite Project"
Tags: 2010s , action , adventure , Canada , comics , Evan Munday , scans , Toronto
Guild Season 4 Has Begun
The new season of The Guild has begun with two new episodes. Watch them at Wil Wheaton’s blog and then give evil Wil Wheaton guff.
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"Guild Season 4 Has Begun"
Tags: 2010s , fandom , fantasy , Felicia Day , games , geekery , online , video , webisodes
Gallant Past, Gallant Future
‎Keith at Teleport City reviews Gallants, the new kung fu film starring several old Shaw Bros. regulars and finds “a film that looks to the past without pandering to it or being trapped by it, resulting in a movie that is uplifting and bittersweet, and ultimately, a refreshingly honest meditation on growing old, feeling obsolete, and rediscovering your spirit and a place in the modern world.” Continue reading
"Gallant Past, Gallant Future"
Tags: 2010s , action , Bruce Leung , China , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , movies , nostalgia
Even More Fewdio
Our friends at Fewdio are at it again with some new horror shorts, including “The Cellar” (“Vampires don’t sparkle, they burn”) and gangsters robbing a disabled old man in, “The Prey.”
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"Even More Fewdio"
Tags: 2010s , California , crime , disability , Fewdio , gangsters , horror , paranormality , psychic powers , shorts , undead , vampires , video
Comically Vintage
“Meanwhile… a hideous group of subversive paleocomicologists plotted plotted schemes in the dark!!” Those schemes come to fruition in panels scanned at Comically Vintage!!!
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"Comically Vintage"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 2010s , comic history , comics , horror , mad science , romance , scans , science fiction
Press Start
Press Start is a Montreal show dedicated to art based on old videogames. Game Set Watch has pictures and links to pictures and to an associated store.
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"Press Start"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , art , Canada , capitalism , fandom , games , geekery , Mario , Montreal , nintendo
One Genre Icon Interviews Another
Ian Fleming interviews Raymond Chandler. Yes, Ian “James Bond” Fleming and Raymond “Philip Marlow” Chandler.
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"One Genre Icon Interviews Another"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , audio , BBC , books , detectives , Ian Fleming , interviews , London , mysteries , noir , pulps , radio , Raymond Chandler , spies , UK
NES Groove
Do you enjoy the music of NES games? Well, there’s a show just for you. This time, the music of “Fester’s Quest.”
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"NES Groove"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , 1990s , adventure , aliens , cartoons , Charles Addams , comics , electronica , games , horror , invasion , music , nintendo , science fiction , tv
RIP, Harvey Pekar
Famous curmudgeon and writer of the comic, American Splendor, Harvey Pekar has died. The Cleveland Plain Dealer blog has more information.
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"RIP, Harvey Pekar"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , autobiography , biography , Cleveland , comics , comics history , Harvey Pekar , Midwest , Ohio , RIP
The Difficulty of Loving Jackie Chan
Keith from Teleport City writes a heartfelt piece about finding Hong Kong movies through Jackie Chan, the difficulties of being a Jackie fan and the vindication of Little Big Soldier.
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"The Difficulty of Loving Jackie Chan"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , action , China , fandom , Hong Kong , Jackie Chan , kung fu , martial arts , movies
Exhorting Japan!
1930s Japan gets with the Social Realist program with exhortational posters!
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"Exhorting Japan!"
Tags: 1930s , art , historicals , history , Japan , posters
Retrofit Consumer Electronics
What if a time traveler took technology from today back to 1977? Enjoy your Pocket HiFi. (thanks, Humash!)
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"Retrofit Consumer Electronics"
Tags: 1970s , 2000s , 2010s , alternate history , art , capitalism , design , geekery , marketing , tech support , technology , time travel
Wonder Woman in Pants
Wonder Woman would’ve also had pants in Joss Whedon’s version. But if she has to have spurs, I’m a sucker for this cowgirl version with invisible pony. (And, following Chris Sims, could go with a Fistful of Dollars poncho).
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"Wonder Woman in Pants"
Tags: 2010s , comics , J. Michael Straczynski , Joss Whedon , scans , superheroes , Westerns , Wonder Woman
Alien vs. Ninja
400 years ago ninjas fought an alien, or possibly aliens. Alien vs. Ninja.
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"Alien vs. Ninja"
Tags: 1500s , 2010s , aliens , alternate history , horror , Japan , ninja , science fiction , Seiji Chiba , trailers , versus , video , Yuji Shimomura
Beasts of Burden preview
Read it now—a 22 page, Dark Horse authorized preview of Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s gritty, animal comic, Beasts of Burden.
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"Beasts of Burden preview"
Tags: 2010s , animals , cats , comics , dogs , Evan Dorkin , Jill Thompson , mysteries , scans , suburbia
1:1 Gundam
1:1 Gundam almost done in Shizuoka, Japan.
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"1:1 Gundam"
Tags: 2010s , animation , anime , comics , fandom , geekery , giant robots , Gundam , manga , mech , movies , robots , tv , video
Nightmare Detective II
We could say something clever about “what things dreams are made of,” but Nightmare Detective just doesn’t lend itself to the cute. It looks like Nightmare Detective II doesn’t either.
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"Nightmare Detective II"
Tags: 2010s , detectives , dream sequences , dreams , horror , Japan , movies , paranormality , Ryuhei Matsuda , Shinya Tsukamoto , trailers , video
“And I don’t understand all your references / like what a TARDIS is…”
“I Have Never Watched An Episode of Doctor Who In My Life,” a hip hop confession by Adam WarRock / Eugene Ahn.
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""And I don't understand all your references / like what a TARDIS is...""
Tags: 2010s , Adam WarRock , audio , community , Doctor Who , Eugene Ahn , fandom , geekery , hip hop , music , nerdcore , science fiction , time travel
Knock, Knock
Who’s there? Why it’s the trailer for Let Me In, the American remake of Let The Right One In.
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"Knock, Knock"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , adaptation , Matt Reeves , remakes , Sweden , Tomas Alfredson , trailers , undead , vampires , video
FantAsia 2010
Dread Central has the schedule for FantAsia 2010 in Montreal. This year has a special focus on organized religion with a screening of Ken Russell’s The Devils and Serbian genre films with a screening of A Serbian Film. which people have found hard-going.
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"FantAsia 2010"
Tags: 2010s , action , blood , Canada , demons , FantAsia , festivals and conventions , gangsters , ghosts , guns , historicals , horror , Ken Russell , kung fu , martial arts , Mladen Djordjevic , Montreal , Nikola Pantelic , Oliver Reed , porn , posession , religion , Serbia , spirits , Srjaden Spasojevic , UK , Vanessa Redgrave
The RZA Directs
The Playlist has the first trailers for the RZA’s first film, Wu-Tang vs. The Golden Phoenix.
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"The RZA Directs"
Tags: action , Africa , China , hip hop , historicals , kung fu , martial arts , movies , music , Shaw Bros. , the RZA , trailers , versus , video
A Little Busier Thinking about Comics
In fact, how about another piece by Colin. This one suggests that Warren Ellis’ The Authority has a lot in common with SuperFriends., writing that it is “the last true heir of the Silver Age.” That boom you hear is Warren Ellis’ head.
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"A Little Busier Thinking about Comics"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , 2010s , comics , criticism , England , JLA , satire , Silver Age , superheroes , UK , Warren Ellis
Too Busy Reading About The Secret Six.
Too Busy Thinking About My Comics has some excellent analysis of The Secret Six. In fact, the blog has plenty of excellent analysis of plenty of comics. And, as the mission statement reads, “It’s not the reading of comic books that can threaten friendships
and derail marriages. It’s the unintended, casual babbling about comic
books that does.” Continue reading
"Too Busy Reading About The Secret Six."
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , antiheroes , comics , criticism , England , Gail Simone , mercenaries , superheroes , supervillainy , UK
Gutter Art!
You know there’s a Cultural Gutter book coming out, right? Well, there is. And artist EJ Lee is illustrating. You can see her section overview illustrations at our Facebook page. They’re infographtastic!
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"Gutter Art!"
Tags: 2010s , art , Carol Borden , Chris Szego , comics , Cultural Gutter , EJ Lee , games , Ian Driscoll , Jim Munroe , movies , romance , science fiction
AT-AT, Aw…
Always clean up after your AT-AT.
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"AT-AT, Aw..."
Tags: adventure , animation , comedy , geekery , robots , science fiction , shorts , space , space opera , Star Wars , video
Sammo at NYAFF
Can’t be in NYC to see Sammo Hung at the New York Asian Film Festival? Here’s footage of Grady Hendrix introducing Sammo Hung and Simon Yam before a screening of Ip Man 2.
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"Sammo at NYAFF"
Tags: 1940s , 2010s , action , China , Grady Hendrix , historicals , Hong Kong , interviews , kung fu , martial arts , movies , New York , NYAFF , Sammo Hung , sequels , Simon Yam Tat-Wah , video
Another Interview with Ray Harryhausen
The BBC has a nice interview with Ray Harryhausen, Stop-Motion and SFX Overlord!
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"Another Interview with Ray Harryhausen"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , action , adventure , aliens , Ancient World , animation , Classical World , dinosaurs , fantasy , giant animals , horror , interviews , kaiju , monsters , Persia , Ray Harryhausen , science fiction , space , spaceships , special effects , stop-motion , swords and sandals , video
“Girls Suck at Video Games”
Stéphanie Mercier uses gameplay to make a point in her short, “Girls Suck at Video Games.”
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""Girls Suck at Video Games""
Tags: 2010s , France , games , gender , Paris , sexism , shorts , Stephanie Mercier , the ladies , video , work
What’s the Matter with Comics?
Comics at the Big Two are in rough shape. Greg Burgas and Chris Sims see similar problems (nostalgia, Kurt Busiek) creating more problems (blandness, resistance to change, retcons, killing of heroes of color to replace them with white heroes of the Silver Age…). We noted Chris’ article before, but it’s worth reading with Greg’s.
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"What's the Matter with Comics?"
Tags: Alex Ross , capitalism , comics , continuity , fandom , industry , Kurt Busiek , nostalgia , race , racism , Silver Age
Iron Sky Trailer
Secret. Nazi. Moon. Base. Here’s the trailer.
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"Iron Sky Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , alternate history , alternate reality , DIY , film making , Germany , invasion , Nazis , space , the moon , war , WWII
Bruce Lee’s Kato
Kato was the star of the old Green Hornet. Cinematical has Bruce Lee’s screen test for the role in the original 1960s tv series. And you can enjoy Batman and Robin vs. Kato and the Green Hornet in the Batman live action series. (via Shelf Life Clothing Company). Continue reading
"Bruce Lee's Kato"
Tags: 1960s , Batman , Bruce Lee , superheroes , tv , versus , video
Interview with Jonathan Coulton
Is “internet famous,” famous? Big Think interviews geeky singer-songwriter and internet superstar, Jonathan Coulton.
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"Interview with Jonathan Coulton"
Tags: 2010s , geekery , interviews , Jonathan Coulton , music , nerdcore , video
Collect’em All!
Ed Wood, Jr. trading cards. Includes starlet Dolores Fuller, Bunny Breckenridge, Lyle Talbot, Vampira and Tor Johnson!
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"Collect'em All!"
Tags: 1950s , art , DIY , Ed Wood , fandom , film history , film making , geekery , horror , Maila Nurmi , movies , science fiction , Tor Johnson , Vampira , wrestling
Genre on TV: Fantasy, Zombies
HBO has a teaser up for George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Meanwhile, AMC has a clip up of actors learning to act like zombies for its upcoming The Walking Dead, based on Robert Kirkman’s comic.
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"Genre on TV: Fantasy, Zombies"
Tags: 2010s , adaptation , contemporary , end times , epics , fantasy , George R. R. Martin , horror , monsters , Robert Kirkman , survival horror , trailers , tv , undead , video , war , zombies
Spooky Squid Games
Check out Night of the Cephalopods, Guerilla Gardening: Seeds of Revolution, Balloonists and more fun by Spooky Squid Games.
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"Spooky Squid Games"
Tags: 2010s , Canada , cephalopods , games , steam punk , Toronto
Technotise
Technotise looks like Japanese anime, but it’s Serbian. And it’s getting a live action remake. Here’s hoping Tecnhotise survives and we all get to see the animated version.
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"Technotise"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , 2070s , adaptation , Aleksa Gajic , animation , anime , comics , cyborgs , Darko Grkinic , dystopia , futurism , Laeta Kalogridis , robots , science fiction , Serbia , video
DJ Pogo’s Toyz Noize
To celebrate the release of Toy Story 3, DJ Pogo has done a special remix of Toy Story with a nice groove.
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"DJ Pogo's Toyz Noize"
Tags: 2010s , animation , dance , DJ Pogo , electronica , music , Pixar , Toy Story , video
Silent Hill 8 Trailer
Silent Hill continues to trouble travelers in this trailer for Silent Hill 8. Seriously, a prison bus is about the only way anyone would go there now.
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"Silent Hill 8 Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , adventure , games , horror , puzzle , Silent Hill , survival horror , trailers , video
Quien es La Pantera Negra?
La Pantera Negra is on the prowl in this trailer for Iyari Werrta’s stylish tribute to 1950s and 1960s Mexican films. Catsuits! Fedoras! Flying saucers! Suspenso! (via SF Signal).
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"Quien es La Pantera Negra?"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 2010s , aliens , exploitation , Iyari Werrta , Mexico , movies , mysteries , science fiction , thrillers , trailers , video
Illustrated Wonder
An illustrated gallery of 1950s rayguns and a lovely, sweet and kinda steam punk illustrated marriage proposal by Joel Kimmel. (thanks, Humash!)
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"Illustrated Wonder"
Tags: 1880s , 1950s , art , Canada , futurism , illustration , Joel Kimmel , Ontario , space , space opera , steam punk , underwater
Kraken, released.
Kraken rum has some nice little videos about Krakens. Is it a new age of artsy-fartsy corporate patronage? Is it just us or does the narrator sound like the guy from Deadliest Warrior? The videos are fun.
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"Kraken, released."
Tags: alternate history , alternate reality , cephalopods , corporations , giant animals , marketing , monsters , shorts , underwater , video
Unlimited Fear, Limited Controls
Michael Thomson talks about the traps and dangers of survival horror and gaming: “There’s no limit to fear of the unknown, but as soon as an enemy is
quantifiable the boundaries are drawn. Fear will eventually become
supplanted with frustration or, worse, tedium.”
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"Unlimited Fear, Limited Controls"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , dystopia , game mechanics , gameplay , games , horror , monsters , mutants , Resident Evil , Silent Hill , survival horror , undead , zombies
Less Submarine, More Filthy Pirate Ship?
6 reasons space travel will always suck.
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"Less Submarine, More Filthy Pirate Ship?"
RIP, Al Williamson
EC Comic artist Al Williamson has died. He’s probably best known now for his work on the Star Wars strip. Comics Beat has an overview of his career and tributes from other artists. (thanks, Denis!)
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"RIP, Al Williamson"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Al Williamson , comics , dailies , EC Comics , Flash Gordon , RIP , Star Wars , strips , X-9
Robot Hater!
It is the year 2000 and you are Vincent Latimer, “Robot Hater!” (Or you are a reader of a comic in the second person).
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"Robot Hater!"
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , comics , futurism , Paul Reinman , robots , scans , science fiction , space , Stan Lee
RIP, Kazuo Ohno
Kazuo Ohno has died at 103. He was a great performer of Butoh, a Japanese dance drama form, and even if dance is not your thing, Japanese horror movies and possibly contemporary supernatural horror wouldn’t be the same without him.
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"RIP, Kazuo Ohno"
Tags: 1900s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2010s , Butoh , Chiaki Nagano , dance , ghosts , Hiroshima , horror , Japan , Kazuo Ohno , movies , Nagasaki , paranormality , WWII
The Lost Thing
Tor.com has a trailer for the animated version of Shaun Tan’s children’s book, The Lost Thing. There are both rivets and tentacles.
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"The Lost Thing"
Tags: 2010s , animation , Australia , children , movies , picture books , Shaun Tan , shorts , trailers , video
What Girls Want From Comics
Hope Larson knows what girls like. She knows what girls want in comics—because she asked.
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"What Girls Want From Comics"
Tags: Asheville , comics , feminism , gender , Hope Larson , manga , North Carolina , sexism , superheroes , the ladies
Stranded in the Jungle
Die, Danger, Die, Die, Kill! was stranded in the jungle for the month of May. Enjoy Todd’s reviews of jungle adventure movies, including a lot of South Asian films and guys dressed up as gorillas.
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"Stranded in the Jungle"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , action , adventure , apes , forest , giant animals , India , jungle , movies , Thailand
Distant Hours, Made of Paper
Andersen M Studio’s have made an evocative gothic animated cut-paper short as a book trailer for The Distant Hours. Music by Mikkel H. Eriksen and the Instrument Studio.
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"Distant Hours, Made of Paper"
Tags: 2010s , Andersen M Studio , animation , art , Kate Morton , Mikkel H. Eriksen , music , The Instrument Studio , trailers , video
LEGO Harry Potter Trailer
Gamers and Harry Potter fans rejoice! It’s the LEGO Harry Potter trailer! (thanks, Dan!)
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"LEGO Harry Potter Trailer"
Tags: action , adventure , childhood , England , games , Harry Potter , JK Rowling , Lego , magic , school , toys , trailers , UK , video , YA
Happy Birthday, Pam Grier!
It’s Pam Grier’s birthday. Celebrate with this interview by NPR.
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"Happy Birthday, Pam Grier!"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , action , African Americans , biography , Blaxploitation , exploitation , feminism , gender , guns , movies , race , racism , sexism , the ladies
NYAFF 2010
The New York Asian Film Festival is coming up and actors Sammo Hung and Simon Yam will be in attending their films Kung Fu Chefs, Bodyguards and Assassins, Echoes of the Rainbow and Eastern Condors. But even if you can’t make it, it’s worth checking out the films and trailers for the Hong Kong/China and Korea/Thailand/Indonesia line-ups. Yes, Merantau will be playing. Plus, giant killer pig!
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"NYAFF 2010"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2009 , 2010s , action , Bong Joon-Ho , China , Cold War , comedy , comics , Donnie Yen , epics , fantasy , gangsters , giant animals , guns , historicals , Hong Kong , Iko Uwais , Indonesia , Jeeja Yanin , John Woo , kaiju , Kim Jee-Woon , Korea , Korean War , kung fu , Lee Joon-Ik , Ma Wing-shing , manhua , martial arts , military , movies , Muay Thai , New York , North Korea , Park Chan-Wook , radio , romance , Sammo Hung , Seoul , silat , Simon Yam Tat-Wah , Song Kang-Ho , South Korea , spies , Sun Yat-Sen , Thailand , trailers , video , Vietnam War , war , Wilson Yip
Yokai, Dissected.
In the interest of Science: gallery of anatomical drawings of yokai, Japanese folk monsters. Hopefully, no actual yokai were harmed in making these drawings.
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"Yokai, Dissected."
Tags: 2000s , anatomy , anime , art , comics , fantasy , horror , Japan , kaiju , manga , monsters , scans , science , science fiction , Shigeru Mizuki , yokai
Art, Geometry and Superheroes
They look a little Social Realist and a little inspiring: Geometric portraits of superheroes.
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"Art, Geometry and Superheroes"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , art , Batman , Captain American , Cyclops , Hulk , Jamie Roberts , scans , superheroes , Wolverine , Xmen
Picking It Apart
Another reason to love This American Life. Joss Whedon performs part of the commentary track for Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. (via Film School Rejects) Continue reading
"Picking It Apart"
Tags: criticism , dvd , Ira Glass , Joss Whedon , music , musicals , radio , This American Life , video
Messages in Lovecraftian Horror
There are two clear messages in this Lovecraftian short film about a small bookstore clerk going mad. 1. Don’t take your job too seriously. Just do the time. 2. Don’t read old books.
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"Messages in Lovecraftian Horror"
Tags: 2010s , books , horror , Lovecraft , madness , monsters , movies , New York , Ray Zablocki , shorts , video
Batman XXX Trailers
Two Batman XXX trailers. Looks like the movie will have all the style and flair of the 1960s tv show, with nice production values, dutch angling, plus porn. Strangely, [SFW].
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"Batman XXX Trailers"
Tags: 1960s , 2010s , Batman , dutch angle , movies , porn , sex , sex work , superheroes , supervillainy , trailers , tv , video
Building Blocks of Horror
Iä Ftaghn! Cthulhu for kids with this Cthulhu LEGO set’s building blocks of unspeakable horror! (Thanks, Denis!)
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"Building Blocks of Horror"
Tags: children , comedy , Cthulhu , horror , Lego , Lovecraft , monsters , toys , video
Romance in Aisle 7
The Smart Bitches and their readers talk about some people who aren’t there, behind their back even, readers who buy romance—and other books—without going online, but based on the covers at the grocery store, etc. The comment thread about how and where people find books is particularly worthwhile.
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"Romance in Aisle 7"
Tags: books , capitalism , fandom , industry , online , romance , tech support
Another Interview With Joe R. Lansdale
Spinetingle has an interview with Champion Mojo Storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale: “I don’t mind a stimulus for a story-do something noir, etc., but I like
to play with those expectations. Genre has its place…. But I don’t like genre to rule my
reading. If I had, I’d have never discovered how many different kinds of
writing and reading I like.” Continue reading
"Another Interview With Joe R. Lansdale"
Tags: 2010s , comics , crime , horror , interviews , Joe Lansdale , movies , mysteries , noir , pulps , screenwriting , YA
“This Pie’s So Good It Is A Crime”
MC Chris’s song, “Twin Peaks”: “This pie’s so good it is a crime.” Continue reading
""This Pie's So Good It Is A Crime""
Tags: 1990s , 2010s , David Lynch , food , hip hop , MC Chris , music , nerdcore , tv , Twin Peaks , video
Hit Restart.
After ending his excellent gaming blog Hit Self Destruct, Duncan Fyfe has a new literary project, “Life Starts Here is a series of twelve stories inspired by the culture
of video games.” Continue reading
"Hit Restart."
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , Duncan Fyfe , games , shorts , writing
BUY THIS SHOW!!!
The original pitch for The Muppet Show. In memoriam, Jim Henson.
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"BUY THIS SHOW!!!"
Tags: 1970s , capitalism , Jim Henson , muppets , RIP , tv , video
Lost And Heroes, Compared.
James Poniewozik on Lost and Heroes: “Put another way: you have to be willing to suck if you ever want to be
great. ‘Awesome’ and ‘awful’ are actually closer to each other on the
continuum of quality than either is to ‘meh.’” Continue reading
"Lost And Heroes, Compared."
Tags: criticism , Heroes , Lost , monsters , superheroes , time , time travel , tv , writing
Connected
Connected is a Danish postapocalyptic short film. It’s kinda like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, at least it’s an allegory about greed. (thanks, DimSumWesterns!)
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"Connected"
Tags: 2010s , allegory , Denmark , end times , science fiction , shorts , video
Doctor Who Comic Maker
Hey, the BBC has a Doctor Who Comic Maker. Make your own comics—with Doctor Who! (Thanks, Rebecca!)
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"Doctor Who Comic Maker"
Tags: comics , Doctor Who , geekery , science fiction , space , tech support , technology , time , time travel , UK
Duel of Cats
Cat chanbara (i.e., kitties with katanas) at Cat’s Head Theatre.
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"Duel of Cats"
Tags: action , animals , animation , cats , chanbara , Japan , martial arts , parody , samurai , shorts , swords , video
Death in Games
Narrative Death, Game Mechanics Death (aka, screwing up and dying), No Death, Permadeath and Rewind: Alistair Doulin writes about death in video games.
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"Death in Games"
Tags: death , design , game mechanics , gameplay , games , narrative
Ben Gardner’s Head
Nice shots from Jaws, including some behind the scene pics and Ben Gardner’s special effects dead head and a mechanical shark dock. Thanks, Rakshasa! (via )
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"Ben Gardner's Head"
Tags: 1970s , art , ephemera , film making , horror , Jaws , movies , photography , Richard Dreyfuss , Robert Shaw , Roy Scheider , sharks , special effects , Stephen Spielberg , underwater
Do Superhero Movies Suck? Does It Matter?
Salon talks about Iron Man 2 and superhero movies in general. Andrew O’Herir says Iron Man 2 doesn’t jump the shark, “it is the shark.” Matt Zoller Seitz says filmmakers take less chances with superhero movies than with zombie movies. Both agree Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash “has the right idea.”
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"Do Superhero Movies Suck? Does It Matter?"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , horror , Iron Man , Mickey Rourke , movies , Robert Downey Jr. , superheroes , Tony Stark , undead , zombies
Kirkbride, Castles of the Midwest.
Kirkbride Buildings are the castles of the American Midwest. They’re also 19th century State Hospitals.
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"Kirkbride, Castles of the Midwest."
Tags: 1840s , 1850s , 1860s , 1870s , 1880s , 1890s , 1900s , architecture , history , hospitals , illness , industrial , Kirkbride , madness , medicine , mental health , morality , photography , stealth , steam punk , urban exploration , Victorian
LEGO: Machete
Another version of the Machete trailer. This time, it’s Lego.
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"LEGO: Machete"
Tags: 2010s , action , Danny Trejo , guns , La Raza , Machete , Mexico , movies , Robert Rodriguez , trailers , video
RIP Frank Frazetta
Fantasy and comic artist Frank Frazetta has died. The world of fantasy art with ladies in metal bikinis and gentleman in fur speedos will be much the poorer. We say that with great affection. (via SFSignal)
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"RIP Frank Frazetta"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , art , comics , Conan , EC Comics , Edgar Rice Burroughs , fantasy , Frank Frazetta , illustration , magic , monsters , pulp , RIP , Robert E. Howard , swords , Tarzan
“Book’em, Brontës!”
Brontë Sisters Power Dolls. They’re not action figures, they’re Power Dolls! “Book’em, Brontës!” (thanks, Denis!) Continue reading
""Book'em, Brontës!""
Tags: 1840s , 1850s , 1990s , comedy , gender , gothic , history , romance , sexism , the ladies , toys , UK , Victorian , video
“Tresspassing on Sacred Ground”
As part of TCM’s Race & Hollyood: Native American Images on Film” festival, Movie Morlocks has posted part 1 of an essay on Native Americans in horror movies from The Werewolf a 1913 Canadian silent to J.T. Petty’s The Burrowers and Twilight: New Moon: “The inclusion of Native Americans into
actual horror movies boils down to a scattering of reliable formulas: Whites Trespassing on Sacred Grounds, Vengeful Redskins, Ecology and Racism.” (via GCDB)
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""Tresspassing on Sacred Ground""
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Canada , Dennis Lipscomb , environmentalism , Florida , ghosts , horror , J.T. Petty , monsters , movies , Native Americans , paranormality , psychic powers , race , racism , religion , shapeshifters , silents , Stephanie Meyer , Toronto , vengeance , Weird Westerns , werewolves , Westerns , William Grefe
“A Cosmic-Scale Meta-Textual Ghetto”
Chris Sims writes a thought-provoking article about how DC’s universe reboots are fueled by fan nostalgia that shoves characters of color aside in favor of white “legacy” characters and unintentionally builds “a cosmic-scale meta-textual ghetto.” Read it.(And this little addition to it).
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""A Cosmic-Scale Meta-Textual Ghetto""
Tags: comics , comics history , continuity , event comics , nostalgia , race , racism
¡More Cinco de Mayo Celebration!
¡Comics Alliance celebrates Cinco de Mayo with el Santo comics and a roundtable discussion of Hellboy in Mexico—including at least one poster from an el Santo movie! Continue reading
"¡More Cinco de Mayo Celebration!"
Tags: action , comics , cryptozoology , Hellboy , horror , lucha libre , martial arts , Mexico , Mike Mignola , monsters , Santo , wrestling
Machete Trailer, Cinco de Mayo Edition
Happy Cinco de Mayo from Danny Trejo, Robert Rodriguez and Machete with this special edition trailer for Machete. Includes Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson and Steven Segal, plus special greetings for the state government of Arizona! Continue reading
"Machete Trailer, Cinco de Mayo Edition"
Tags: 2010s , action , Arizona , blood , Cheech Marin , Danny Trejo , Don Johnson , guns , Jessica Alba , La Raza , Mexico , Michelle Rodriguez , movies , racism , Robert De Niro , Robert Rodriguez , Steven Segal , trailers , video
Evan Munday in the News!
Gutter friend and Quarter-Life Crisis writer/artist Evan Munday answers The National Post’s questionnaire for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. His advice? Learn to ink early. (If you want more Evan, Carol’s interview with him is here).
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"Evan Munday in the News!"
Tags: 2010s , Canada , comics , dystopia , end times , Evan Munday , festivals and conventions , interviews , science fiction , TCAF , Toronto
The Gutter Makes Good!
If you’re in Toronto May 6, there’s a book launch for the Gutter’s own Jim Munroe and Shannon Gerrard’s graphic novel about post-Rapture Detroit, Sword of My Mouth. If you’re not in Toronto, you can catch Jim and Shannon at their Detroit launch May 10. More info on the launches and promotions here.
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"The Gutter Makes Good!"
Tags: 2010s , Canada , Christianity , comics , Cultural Gutter , Detroit , dystopia , end times , Jim Munroe , Midwest , Rapture , religion , science fiction , Shannon Gerrard , Toronto
Ming Doyle Gallery
Artist Ming Doyle has posted a gallery of her Free Comic Book Day sketches. You can see a selection here. (via the ISB).
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"Ming Doyle Gallery"
Tags: art , comics , Ming Doyle , scans , superheroes , the ladies
Terry Pratchett Talks About Doctor Who
Terry Pratchett talks a little trash about Doctor Who: “The unexpected, unadvertised solution which kisses it all better is known as a deus ex machina - literally, a god from the machine. And a god from the machine is what the Doctor now is… And yet, I will watch again next week because it is pure professionally-written entertainment[.]” (via SFSignal)
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"Terry Pratchett Talks About Doctor Who"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 2000s , 2010s , BBC , Doctor Who , fantasy , narrative , science , science fiction , special effects , Star Trek , Terry Pratchett , time , time travel , tv , UK
Christopher Lee is the King of Metal
Christopher Lee conquers Symphonic Metal. Survey his Holy Metal Empire with two promos for Charlemagne, a message from Christopher Lee about the project and some track teasers. Continue reading
"Christopher Lee is the King of Metal"
Tags: 2010s , 800s , Christopher Lee , historicals , history , medieval , Metal , music , musicals , UK
The Temptation of the Unspeakable Groove
Unspeakable horror + Unspeakable groove. Animation with art by Dan Hillier and music by Losers. (via Dan Hillier)
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"The Temptation of the Unspeakable Groove"
Tags: 2010s , animation , art , Dan Hillier , electronica , hip hop , Losers , Lovecraft , monsters , music , steam punk , Tom Weber , UK , Victorian
The Temptation of the Unspeakable
We are enjoying the unspeakable today. Gentry with tentacles. A deck of forbidden knowledge. Continue reading
"The Temptation of the Unspeakable"
Tags: art , cards , cephalopods , Edwardian , games , horror , Lovecraft , monsters , paranormality , steam punk , Victorian
Learn to Write the Nicholas Sparks Way!
Learn to write the Nicholas Sparks way! The Nicholas Sparks formula is fully analyzed with multimedia illustrations in this fine comedic article. Bonus: Nicholas Sparks quotes!
(via the Smart Bitches)
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"Learn to Write the Nicholas Sparks Way!"
Tags: comedy , movies , Nicholas Sparks , romance , trailers , video
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Old Abe bears a terrible burden in the Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter book trailer. Continue reading
"Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter"
Tags: 1860s , 2010s , Abraham Lincoln , alternate history , alternate reality , books , historicals , horror , monsters , Seth Grahame-Smith , trailers , undead , vampires , video
Odienator Sizes Up Uncle Remus
Odienator answers two pressing questions in his piece about Song of the South: “1. Should Disney release this movie on DVD in America? Absolutely. 2.
Is Song of the South as racist as its rep indicates? Well…keep reading.
(You didn’t think I’d just give you my goodies without dinner and
foreplay, did you?)” Continue reading
"Odienator Sizes Up Uncle Remus"
Tags: 1940s , African Americans , animation , Disney , movies , musicals , race , racism , the South
The Best Thing Is The Worst Thing, Too
And more comics with Ask Chris. The Invincible Super Blog’s Chris Sims explains what the best thing and what the worst thing about comics culture are: fans. He also has pictures of a Bat-Monster Truck. Continue reading
"The Best Thing Is The Worst Thing, Too"
Tags: Batman , cars , comics , community , fan service , fandom , industry , scans
Superhero Fashion with Tim Gunn and Crazy Sexy Geeks
Tim Gunn thinks the Hulk should wear a suit all the time. “It mitigates all that mass.” Part 2 of Crazy Sexy Geeks’ discussion of superhero fashion with Tim Gunn.
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"Superhero Fashion with Tim Gunn and Crazy Sexy Geeks"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , comics , fashion , Hulk , Robin , superheroes , Superman , Tim Gunn
Go Team Lovecraft!
At The Times Online, Stephen Hawking says contacting aliens could be dangerous. Lord Rees says aliens are possibly beyond any human’s ability to comprehend. We say, Go Team Lovecraft! Continue reading
"Go Team Lovecraft!"
Tags: aliens , fear and loathing , invasion , Lovecraft , science , space , Stephen Hawking
Pencak Silat!
In Merantau a young Minangkabau man goes to Jakarta, where he uses pencak silat for the power of good.
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"Pencak Silat!"
Tags: 2000s , action , contemporaries , Indonesia , Jakarta , martial arts , movies , silat , Sumatra , trailers , video
Blade Runner: Designing the Future
In its awesomeness, The Curated Object also has pieces from “Blade Runner: Designing the Future,” including Syd Mead’s conceptual paintings and a promotional, luminescent umbrella.
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"Blade Runner: Designing the Future"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , art , Bladerunner , books , California , design , dystopia , futurism , Los Angeles , movies , posters , science fiction , Syd Mead
More Utagawa Kuniyoshi
A Doppelganger. A Giant Carp. A Tengu. The Curated Object has more images from “Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.”
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"More Utagawa Kuniyoshi "
Tags: 1830s , 1840s , 1850s , art , cephalopods , fantasy , ghosts , horror , Japan , kaiju , monsters , paranormality , underwater , Utagawa Kuniyoshi , war , yokai
Ultramen vs. Kaiju
Kaijutastic Ultraman poster art by Takayoshi Mizuki. (via The Japan Society)
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"Ultramen vs. Kaiju"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , action , art , Japan , kaiju , monsters , posters , science ficiton , space , suitmation , superheroes , Takayoshi Mizuki , tokusatsu , tv , Ultraman , versus
Interview with Tony Jaa
Tony Jaa talks about his dharma martial art Nattayut, working with elephants, filming during a territorial dispute and his post-Ong Bak 3 future, including Donnie Yen. (via Wise Kwai)
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"Interview with Tony Jaa"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , Donnie Yen , historicals , interviews , martial arts , movies , Muay Thai , Nattayut , Thailand , Thatchakorn Yeerum , Tony Jaa
Christopher Lee Is Metal.
Christopher Lee is Metal. “I have been metal for many years,” he says in a review of his new CD, Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.
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"Christopher Lee Is Metal."
Tags: 2010s , 800s , Christopher Lee , France , historicals , history , medieval , Metal , music , musicals , UK
“Can Comics Be Scary?”
The Groovy Age of Horror asks, “Can comics be scary?” Josh Simmons, Kimberly Lindbergs, CRWM, Karswell, Richard Sala and Sean T. Collins answer.
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""Can Comics Be Scary?""
Tags: comics , horror , Josh simmons , Richard Sala
RIP Carl Macek
Carl Macek has died: “Carl had his critics. But one thing is certain: the popularity of anime
in the North America would not be where it is today without Macek’s
groundbreaking work on Robotech and his efforts on behalf of Streamline
Pictures.” More at Cartoon Brew. Continue reading
"RIP Carl Macek"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , anime , Carl Macek , industry , RIP , Robotech
Der Teufelspakt
Solve the mystery of the cursed Mercy Booth in the clickable picture/text adventure, “Der Teufelspakt.” You don’t need to speak German to play, but it helps. (via The Horror?!)
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"Der Teufelspakt"
Tags: 1920s , 2010s , Cthulhu , games , horror , interactivity , Lovecraft , mysteries , paranormality , text adventure , video
Ray Harryhausen, April 2010
Stopmotion and special effects master, Ray Harryhausen is interviewed at The Telegraph and discusses the Science Fiction League meetings he attended with Ray Bradbury, special effects now and Avatar. Continue reading
"Ray Harryhausen, April 2010"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 2010s , animation , Harryhausen , interviews , movies , myths , science fiction , special effects , stop-motion
Kerfuffled Fans
Oh, such a kerfuffle about Roger Ebert’s review of Kick-Ass and his blog piece, “Videogames Can Never Be Art.”
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"Kerfuffled Fans"
Tags: 2010s , art , comics , criticism , fandom , games , movies , Roger Ebert , versus
Tim Gunn Critiques Superhero Fashion
Tim Gunn is crazy about Spider-Man’s costume, not so much with Star Sapphire. Continue reading
"Tim Gunn Critiques Superhero Fashion"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1980s , 2000s , 2010s , comics , fan service , fashion , Spider-Man , superheroes , the ladies , Tim Gunn , video
“Crisis in the 36th Chamber”
Chris Sims and Rusty Shackles bring you, “Great Comics That Never Were (But Shoulda Been)!”
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""Crisis in the 36th Chamber""
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Alan Moore , Batman , comedy , comics , Garth Ennis , JLA , LGBTQ , Midnight Madness , parody , Queerness , romance , scans , Spider-Man , superheroes , Westerns , Wu Tang Clan
Drew Daywalt’s Bad Cruise
Camera Obscura writer/director Drew Daywalt spent 3 nights on California’s Queen Mary and took a camera with him. Here’s what he shot. Continue reading
"Drew Daywalt's Bad Cruise"
Tags: 2010s , California , Drew Daywalt , ghosts , horror , movies , paranormality , ships , video
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking
Did you like Pitch Black but weren’t so sure about the mad, operatic The Chronicles of Riddick? Worried that Riddick is just gonna be stuck on that Necromonger throne for eternity? Apparently, he won’t. Dread Central has links to a new Riddick script review and concept art that’s more PB than TCoR. Continue reading
"The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , antiheroes , art , assassins , David Twohy , futurism , movies , Riddick , science fiction , sequels , space , space opera , survival horror , Vin Diesel
The Fog (1980) vs The Fog (2005)
October has an extensive and exquisite analysis of The Fog (1980) and The Fog (2005), ranging from the implications of the changes to the original, some tangents relating to John Carpenter’s other films and “alienation vs. connection.” (via The Horror?!)
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"The Fog (1980) vs The Fog (2005)"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , Adrienne Barbeau , horror , Jamie Lee Curtis , Janet Leigh , John Carpenter , movies , remakes , Tom Welling , vengeance
Ong Bak 3 Trailer
There’s a teaser out for Ong-Bak 3 and it’s chock full of “Holy Shit!” (Including the Ong Bak Buddha statue, but I really don’t think that’s what’ll make you say, “Holy Shit!”)
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"Ong Bak 3 Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , action , blood , fantasy , historicals , martial arts , movies , Muay Thai , Thailand , Tony Jaa , trailers , video
Cantopop Covers
Did you know that the theme to “For a Few Dollars More” had lyrics? Cantonese pop star Josephine Siao did. You can hear it and her version of “Goldfinger,” too, thanks to Soft Film. (via 4DK)
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"Cantopop Covers"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , China , Hong Kong , Jane Bond , Josephine Siao Fong-Fong , movies , music , Sergio Leone , soundtracks , Westerns
Peering at The Sword of My Mouth
The digital edition of Jim Munroe and Shannon Gerrard’s, Sword of My Mouth is up with some lovely preview pages. You can stare straight down the blade, if you want.
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"Peering at The Sword of My Mouth"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , angels , Canada , comics , Cultural Gutter , demons , Detroit , end times , Jim Munroe , Midwest , Shannon Gerrard , Toronto
Twittering in the Gutter
Yes, it’s 2010 and the Cultural Gutter is finally tweeting in the gutter, or twittering in the gutter. It sounds unsanitary, but what it means is you can follow us on Twitter now. (You can also fan us on Facebook).
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"Twittering in the Gutter"
Tags: 2010s , Cultural Gutter , technology
Giant Golem vs. Nazi Robot Dinosaur
Giant Golem vs. Giant Nazi Robot Dinosaur. There are scans…
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"Giant Golem vs. Nazi Robot Dinosaur"
Tags: 1930s , 1940s , comics , dinosaurs , Germany , giant animals , giant robots , Golden Age , golems , magic , Nazis , replicants , robots , scans , versus , WWII
Dr. Evermore’s Forevertron
Dr. Evermore’s Forevertron gives hope to humankind. (thanks, Edie!)
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"Dr. Evermore's Forevertron"
Tags: 1880s , 2000s , 2010s , art , insects , mad science , Midwest , photography , Queen Victoria , sculpture , steam punk , Thomas Edison , Wisconsin
A Two-Headed Hydra Of Opinion
Entertainment Weekly is a veritable hydra with one head talking shit about stopmotion and fx master Ray Harryhausen and another defending Ray Harryhausen and handmade special effects. A hydra of two-heads, that would probably look pretty sick in a Harryhausen movie.
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"A Two-Headed Hydra Of Opinion"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Ancient World , animation , Classical World , Greece , Harryhausen , movies , myths , special effects , stop-motion
The Sound of Our Impending Future!
Teleport City is preparing the way for the future and/or retro-future we’ve all been waiting for. Pack your go-bag to “Music for Departure Lounges” and taxi your way on out with “Music for Espionage and Space Defense.”
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"The Sound of Our Impending Future!"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2010s , assassins , audio , Ennio Morricone , futurism , Hugo Montenegro , Italy , Japan , movies , music , soundtracks , space , spaceships , spies , The Prisoner , tv , UK
They Were Explodable!
The Expendables. It’s hard to believe it’s real: Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Stone Cold Steve Austin and, presumably, drug lords are explodable and exploded.
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"They Were Explodable!"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2010s , action , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Bruce Willis , Dolph Lundgren , guns , Jason Statham , Jet Li , Mickey Rourke , movies , Stone Cold Steve Austin , Sylvester Stallone , trailers , video , wrestling
Scott Pilgrim Trailer
“13 Ways of Looking at the Scott Pilgrim Movie Trailer.” (Guess Carol’s not the only one who likes Wallace Stevens).
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"Scott Pilgrim Trailer"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , action , Bryan Lee O'Malley , Canada , Halifax , movies , romance , Scott Pilgrim , Toronto , trailers , video
Les Aventures de Madame Merveille
Cecil Castellucci, Minx comic artist and Canadian nerdcore icon, has cut the middle brow out with her fusion of low and high art, the comics opera, Les Aventures de Madame Merveille. See it in Montreal with art from Pascal Girard, Michael Cho, Scott Hepburn and Cameron Stewart.
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"Les Aventures de Madame Merveille"
Tags: 1950s , 2010s , audio , Cameron Stewart , Canada , capes , Cecil Castellucci , comics , detectives , geekery , Michael Cho , Montreal , music , nerdcore , opera , Pascal Girard , romance , Scott Hepburn , space , space opera , the ladies
Hal Jordan’s Package Flying Through Space
There’s always controversy in comics fandom around how female characters are drawn or sculpted. Karen equalizes things with some equivalently fan service covers, featuring Hal Jordan’s package flying through space, for the ladies and gentlemen who prefer gentlemen. (via Paiwingz)
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"Hal Jordan's Package Flying Through Space"
Tags: comics , fan service , fandom , feminism , gender , Green Lantern , Hal Jordan , industry , LGBTQ , photoshop , sex , sexism , the ladies
Nak Prok’s Shadow
Wise Kwai reviews, Shadow of the Naga / Nak Prok, and talks a little about the film’s legal problems and the fear of a Buddhist backlash.
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"Nak Prok's Shadow"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , Buddhism , censorship , contemporaries , crime , guns , heists , Inthira Charoenpura , movies , noir , Phawit Phanangkasiri , Pitisak Yaowanon , Ray MacDonald , religion , Sa-ad Piampongsan , Somchai Kemklad , Thailand
Ia Ftaghn! It’s the Cult of Cthulhu!
Venger Satanis discusses spreading the green ichor of the Cult of Cthulhu throughout the world.
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"Ia Ftaghn! It's the Cult of Cthulhu!"
Tags: 2010s , Cthulhu , horror , interviews , Lovecraft , religion , Satanism
There’s a cephalopod with a naginata.
The Japan City in New York City has posted a gallery of images from their current exhibition, “Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.” There’s a cephalopod with what looks like a naginata. There are samurai and a giant skeleton. If you can’t make it to the exhibit, see some of it here. (via Subway Cinema).
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"There's a cephalopod with a naginata."
Tags: 1820s , 1830s , animals , art , cephalopods , comics , fantasy , ghosts , giant animals , horror , illustration , Japan , kaiju , monsters , paranormality , satire , scans , undead , underwater , Utagawa Kuniyoshi , yokai
A Century of Cinematic Horror
Decade by decade, the Movie Morlocks look at 100 years of cinematic horror, starting with the 1910 silent, Frankenstein.
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"A Century of Cinematic Horror"
Tags: 1910s , 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Anthony Perkins , Basil Rathbone , Bela Lugosi , Billy Wilder , blood , Bob Hope , Boris Karloff , California , Christian Bale , Christopher Lee , comedy , Dark Shadows , David Lynch , Dracula , Edgar Allen Poe , exploitation , Expressionism , film history , film industry , Frankenstein , Germany , ghosts , Gloria Swanson , Hammer Studios , history , horror , Japan , John Carradine , Konrad Veidt , lists , Lon Chaney Jr. , Los Angeles , M. Night Shyamalan , Mary Shelley , Mexico , monsters , movies , opera , Paulette Goddard , Peter Cushing , Robert Bloch , Robert Quarry , Robert Wiene , Roger Corman , satire , sequels , slasher , soaps , Spain , tv , Twilight Zone , UK , undead , vampires , werewolves , William Holden , zombies
10 Things That Are Creepy, Not Romantic
Linda Holmes brings all her expertise in movies with kissing and banter in them to list ten things that that are more creepy than romantic in romantic comedy.
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"10 Things That Are Creepy, Not Romantic"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , fear and loathing , Gerard Butler , Jane Austen , Jennifer Aniston , Katherine Heigl , lists , movies , romance , top 10
Even More Project: Rooftop Projects
Just as Project Runway has Models of the Runway, so too Project: Rooftop has spin-offs. Now there’s features like: “All Ages All-Stars,” redesigning superheroes for all ages (for example, Martian Manhunter); “How It’s Done,” spotlighting official superhero redesigns (like the Iron Man briefcase armor); and “Retrofix,” giving Golden and Silver age comic characters a new look.
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"Even More Project: Rooftop Projects"
Tags: art , children , comics , Golden Age , Iron Man , Martian Manhunter , movies , superheroes , Tony Stark , YA
Elmore Leonard, Hats and Adaptations
Elmore Leonard talks hats and adaptations, sometimes both.
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"Elmore Leonard, Hats and Adaptations"
Tags: 1950s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , adaptation , Barry Sonnenfeld , Burt Reynolds , Canada , crime , detectives , Detroit , Elmore Leonard , gangsters , George Clooney , Graham Yost , heists , Jennifer Lopez , Midwest , movies , Pam Grier , Quentin Tarantino , thieves , thrillers , Tom Olyphant , tv , Westerns , writing
The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages
Dart Adams Presents: Black Like Me: The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages, Part One (1900-1968)and Part Two (1969-2008). (Click it! It’s amazing).
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"The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages"
Tags: 1900s , 1910s , 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Aaron McGruder , adventure , African Americans , Afro Samurai , afrogeekery , Al McWilliams , animation , Avengers , Berkeley Breathed , Big City Comics , capes , Charles Shulz , children , comedy , comics , comics history , dailies , Denys Cowan , Derek Dingle , Dick Gregory , Dwayne McDuffie , Frank King , gender , George Herriman , horror , industry , Jack Kirby , Jackie Ormes , Japan , JLA , John Saunders , Keith Knight , kung fu , Lee Falk , Mal Duncan , martial arts , Marvel , Michael Davis , Milestone Comics , military , Morrie Turner , Mort Walker , movies , Otto Messner , Outland , Pat Sullivan , Phil Davis , publishing , R.F. Outcault , race , racism , Rob Liefeld , scans , Sesame Street , shorts , Stan Lee , strips , Ted Shearer , Teen Titans , the ladies , Todd McFarlane , tv , UK , vampires , Walt Kelly , Walter Lantz , war , Will Eisner , William Mariner , X-Men
More from Champion Mojo Storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale
Mojo Champion Storyteller talks about his pulp classic, The Drive-In, including its influences, low-budget 1980s horror movies, East Texas tall tales, television and American politics.
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"More from Champion Mojo Storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , audio , horror , Joe Lansdale , podcasts , publishing , pulps , sequels , technology , Texas , writing
Two Geeks Enter, One Geek Leaves
John Hodgman and Patton Oswalt face off in an epic geek-off for WFMU. Bester’ed, Bova’ed— two geeks enter, one geek leaves.
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"Two Geeks Enter, One Geek Leaves"
Tags: audio , community , fandom , geekery , John Hodgman , Patton Oswalt , radio , WFMU
Camera Obscura
A young woman releases demons and then has to trap them up again with her grandfather’s camera in the webseries, Camera Obscura. The trailer looks promising.
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"Camera Obscura"
Tags: demons , Drew Daywalt , horror , trailers , video , webseries
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe…”
LEGO Bladerunner. LEGO lightsaber duel. (thanks, edie!) Continue reading
""I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...""
Tags: animation , Bladerunner , dystopia , Harrison Ford , martial arts , replicants , robots , Rutgar Hauer , science fiction , Star Wars , toys , video
Symbol
Symbol. It’s a metaphysical, lucha-loving film by Hitoshi Matsumoto. It’s especially funny if you’ve seen art films with a someone sitting in a plain white room. Continue reading
"Symbol"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , comedy , Hitoshi Matsumoto , lucha libre , metaphysics , Mexico , movies , religion , trailers , video , wrestling
Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective
Kathryn Bigelow won a best directing Oscar for The Hurt Locker. Time for a retrospective. Here’s the trailer for Near Dark and some clips. Point Break (i.e. Keeanu Reeves best movie). Jamie Lee Curtis in the cop thriller, Blue Steel. The premillennial tension of Strange Days. The Pirelli ad, Mission Zero. And her sub movie, possible the manliest of genres, K-19: The Widowmaker. She also wrote an episode of The Equalizer. Continue reading
"Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Angela Bassett , Bill Paxton , California , cars , Cold War , cyberpunk , detectives , dystopia , Edward Woodward , end times , Harrison Ford , historicals , horror , Jamie Lee Curtis , Joel Silver , Kathryn Bigelow , Keanu Reeves , Lance Henriksen , Liam Neeson , Los Angeles , marketing , military , movies , Patrick Swayze , Peter Saarsgard , police , Ralph Fiennes , science fiction , Soviet , sports , submarines , surfing , thrillers , tv , undead , undercover , underwater , vampires , Vincent D'Onofrio , war
Milestone!
So much Milestone going on! Milestone creator Dwayne McDuffie talks with The Atlantic about “reinventing personal mythologies, pop-cultural representations of race and an investigation of what shapes our moral frameworks” and how much he likes writing romance. Meanwhile, Evan Narcisse shares his memories of Milestone Comics—with pictures.
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"Milestone!"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , comics , comics history , diversity , Dwayne McDuffie , industry , LGBTQ , Milestone Comics , morality , race , romance , scans , superheroes
Baba O’Geeky (LOL)
The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” performed with Think Geek gadgets. Yeah, it’s marketing but it’s also neat.(via Wil Wheaton)
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"Baba O'Geeky (LOL)"
Tags: 1960s , 2010s , geekery , marketing , music , technology , The Who , video
Guild’d
What happens when a young woman named Felicia Day decides to make a webseries about online gamers and their socially maladjusted SoCal hijinx? Log on and get Guild’d. (and occasionally, Wil Wheaton’d). Here’s season 3. Continue reading
"Guild'd"
Tags: comedy , community , fandom , Felicia Day , games , geekery , online , video , webseries , Wil Wheaton
Hollow Victory
The Artful Gamer writes about the hollow victory of playing a good character in many roleplaying videogames: “Yet, days later, I feel like Conan the Barbarian, sitting on his throne at
the end of the first film like a king who has done it all yet feels
ultimately unfulfilled. This is when the spiritual hollowness of
traditional RPGs grates at me.” Continue reading
"Hollow Victory"
Tags: gameplay , games , morality , RPGs
Science Determines the Best and Worst Genres
Science analyzes the best and worst types of genre movies. Results listed here.
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"Science Determines the Best and Worst Genres"
Tags: adaptation , aliens , dystopia , end times , horror , lists , math , movies , remakes , science , science fiction , space , superheroes , thrillers , undead , vampires , zombies
Roofed!
Jim Munroe’s been working on a new movie, Ghosts with Shit Jobs. It’s not even out and he has a spin-off game—“Roofed!”
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"Roofed!"
Tags: 2010s , Cultural Gutter , dystopia , futurism , games , giant animals , insects , interactivity , Jim Munroe , science fiction , text adventure , tie-ins , work
“You Asked For It—Cried For It—Demanded It!”
“You asked for it—Cried for it—Demanded it!” Yes, dear reader, Sequential Crush, a blog dedicated to romance comics from the 1960s and 1970s. Check out “Black + White = Heartbreak,” a story about interracial romance in the early 1970s and scans of the first three issues of Night Nurse. (via The Groovy Age of Horror)
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""You Asked For It--Cried For It--Demanded It!""
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , African Americans , comics , medicals , race , racism , romance , scans
Comics Misunderstanding, Well, Argument Really
The comics misunderstanding (i.e. respectful critical discussion) continues at The Groovy Age of Horror as Scott McCloud responds, a commenter gets in a dig and Curt Purcell writes more about homeostasis and how human brains process information. Geek fight! C’mon, fight! Fight?
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"Comics Misunderstanding, Well, Argument Really"
Tags: 2010s , art , brain , comics , criticism , Curt Purcell , perception , science , Scott McCloud
The Return of the Sea King
Aquaman’s alive. He was dead, if you hadn’t heard. Glen Weldon writes about the Sea King’s re-ascening his throne and how hard it is to be an Aqua-fan.
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"The Return of the Sea King"
Tags: 2010s , Aquaman , comics , death , event comics , fandom , superheroes , underwater
Just Say, “No” to Black Magic
The upcoming Malaysian film, Niyang Rapik warns of the dangers of picking up stuff that doesn’t belong to you and black magic. But if the kids weren’t scared straight by Indonesia’s Léak / Mystics of Bali, I don’t what would. (Trailer available under video). Continue reading
"Just Say, "No" to Black Magic"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Ahmad Idham , H. Tjut Djalil , horror , Indonesia , magic , Malaysia , movies , paranormality , trailers , video
Slash set to Nine Inch Nails
Spock forgot the safe word.
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"Slash set to Nine Inch Nails"
Tags: 2010s , fandom , geekery , industrial , Metal , music , Nine Inch Nails , romance , sex , slash , Star Trek , Trent Reznor , video
Black History Mumf
It’s Black History Mumf at Big Media Vandalism and the Odienator provides a recap of his film reviews here.
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"Black History Mumf"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , African Americans , afrogeekery , Black History Month , criticism , movies , race
It’s Free, and It Will Change Your Life
The Necronomicon, brought to you by the Esoteric Order of the Old Ones and Cthulhu Cultists: “If knowing the unknowable is crazy, I don’t wanna be sane.” (thanks, victoria!)
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"It's Free, and It Will Change Your Life"
Tags: 2000s , comedy , Cthulhu , horror , Lovecraft , Necronomicon , parody , religion , satire , shorts , video
Understanding Closure
Curt Purcell explores the gutters of the mind, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and a little bit of Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis.
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"Understanding Closure"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , art , brain , comics , Grant Morrison , perception , science , Scott McCloud
A Social Theory of Burn Notice
Grant McCracken posits an “enmeshed male” theory of Burn Notice and a few of the other entertaining shows on the USA Network.
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"A Social Theory of Burn Notice"
Wars, Etc.
“A pretty harrowing movie, realistic in an emotional way that most war movies don’t catch” - Joe Haldeman, on The Hurt Locker.
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"Wars, Etc."
Great Videogame or Greatest Videogame?
System Shock, a great videogame from 1994, gets a mod to make it easier to play for modern videogamers (with lots of tips in the comments on how to get the game running).
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"Great Videogame or Greatest Videogame?"
Black Panther Animated Series
Marvel’s animating my childhood with their upcoming Black Panther series for BET. (No, I wasn’t T’Challa, the King of Wakanda. I just loved Black Panther). Animated Superheroes has the theme song as well as screen shots of characters and the voice-acting credits. (via Black SuperHero Blog).
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"Black Panther Animated Series"
Tags: Africa , Alfre Woodard , animation , Black Entertainment Television , Black Panther , Djimon Hounsou , Jill Scott , Kerry Washington , music , Phil Lamar , soundtracks , Stan Lee , Stephen James Taylor , Storm , superheroes , video
A HK Poster A Day
Colin at Kung Fu Fridays is posting a Hong Kong movie poster/day. Wild Search (starring Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung) is gorgeous.
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"A HK Poster A Day"
Tags: 1980s , art , Cherie Chung Cho-Hung , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Hong Kong , movies , posters , Ringo Lam Ting-Tung
Monks with Guns
There are no bulletproof monks in Nak Prok/Shadow of the Naga. In fact there are some remarkably violent novices who’ve hidden stolen money in a monastery and have to get it out again. Wise Kwai has the trailer and a discussion of Nak Prok and the new Thai ratings system.
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"Monks with Guns"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , action , Buddhism , censorship , gangsters , guns , heists , Inthira Charoenpura , movies , Pawat Panangkasiri , Pitisak Yaowanon , religion , Somchai Kemklad , Thailand , trailers , video
Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation
“Nothing is easy when a man loves a ghost woman.” Not even for animated men in Tsui Harks Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation. (Keith’s piece also has a pretty thorough retrospective of Tsui Hark’s career).
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"Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation"
Tags: 1990s , animation , China , fantasy , ghosts , Hong Kong , horror , movies , paranormality , Tsui Hark , wuxia
I Can See Forever
It’s like the 1980s are a black hole and the event horizon reaches forever: The A-Team, The Karate Kid, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Tron, Ghostbusters, Conan The Barbarian, Red Dawn, Short Circuit and Wall Street.
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"I Can See Forever"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , 2010s , action , capitalism , dream sequences , ghosts , horror , invasion , Jackie Chan , John Milius , karate , martial arts , movies , nostalgia , remakes , robots , sequels , Soviet , special effects , technology , tv , Wes Craven
Smiting the Wicked in The Book of Eli
In the Hughes Brothers’ fourth film, The Book of Eli, Nick Pinkerton writes, “Our hero is mostly an Old Testament smiter of the wicked,
finally—unless I forget when Christ said, ‘You lay that hand on me
again and you will not get it back” at the Garden of Gethsemane.’” Continue reading
"Smiting the Wicked in The Book of Eli"
Tags: 2010s , Christianity , Denzel Washington , dystopia , end times , futurism , Hughes Brothers , movies , religion
RIP Zelda Rubinstein
Actress Zelda Rubinstein has died after being taken off life support in L.A. last month. Most Gutter readers probably know her best as the psychic in Poltergeist, but she also starred in movies like Anguish, Sixteen Candles and Southland Tales. She was a human rights activist and also a lab tech, so pour 1L for a righteous sister.
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"RIP Zelda Rubinstein"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , California , comedy , horror , John Hughes , Los Angeles , movies , Pennsylvania , Pittsburgh , RIP , Spain , YA , Zelda Rubinstein
Investigating Lois
Kelly Thompson never much liked reporters or Lois Lane, now she’s giving Lois a second chance with a review of Mindy Newell’s Lois Lane miniseries. (The discussion in the comments is excellent, too).
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"Investigating Lois"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Clark Kent , comics , fear and loathing , gender , journalism , Lana Lang , Lois Lane , Mindy Newell , romance , scans , Superman , the ladies
LEGO MMO
LEGO still clicking with their new “LEGO Universe” MMO game. The trailer’s here. Meanwhile, Unreality tries to understand the appeal.
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"LEGO MMO"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , games , Lego , MMOs , online , toys , trailers , video
The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck
Play unimaginable games staked on innocent souls or divine the unholy, maddening fate that awaits you (and perhaps how to save yourself) with the recently rediscovered Windrow-Ravenswood Deck.
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"The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck"
Tags: 2010s , art , cards , Dmitri Arbacauskas , games , horror , steam punk
Making the Case for Trades and Single Issues
“Whether to read a book month-to-month or to wait for the trades is a
personal decision, of course,…but make no
mistake: It’s a decision of vital interest to the future of the comics
industry.” Glen Weldon discusses both at NPR’s Monkey See Blog.
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"Making the Case for Trades and Single Issues"
Tags: comics , industry , Mike Carey , Peter Gross
Wander over Yonder for Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls
Wander over to Cartoon Brew to see Craig McCracken’s character sketches for Wander Over Yonder and Lauren Faust’s Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls.
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"Wander over Yonder for Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls"
Tags: animation , art , Craig McCracken , Lauren Faust , the ladies
Jizztastic!
You read about it here (and here) and now you can have it all to yourself, former Gutter movie editor Robin Bougie’s XXX movie, The Cumming of Jizzus. Check out Robin’s blog for more info.
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"Jizztastic!"
Tags: 2010s , Cultural Gutter , DIY , movies , porn , religion , Robin Bougie , sex
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Bloody Disgusting also has a trailer for and clips from another horror comedy, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Tucker and Dale are just trying to fix up their cabin in the woods and college kids are offing themselves all over the place. (Interview with writer/director Eli Craig here).
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"Tucker and Dale vs. Evil"
Tags: 2010s , Alan Tudyk , blood , comedy , Eli Craig , horror , parody , slasher , trailers , Tyler Labine , video
The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu
It’s beginning to look a lot like fishmen in The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu. Bloody Disgusting has the trailer.
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"The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu"
Tags: 2010s , comedy , Cthulhu , festivals and conventions , Henry Slaine , horror , Lovecraft , movies , Slamdance , trailers , video
Pretty Puppet Poe
Lo tech makes hi tech better! Puppets illustrate this ebook version of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. (Also, check out the link to Two-Fisted Poe). Continue reading
"Pretty Puppet Poe"
Tags: 1840s , 2010s , art , ebooks , Edgar Allen Poe , horror , illustration , puppetry , technology
Shape of—An Unpayable Mortgage with My Face on It!
“What the Wonder Twins Would Take the Form and Shape of if They were Sent to Correct the Subprime Mortgage Crisis” is a McSweeney’s article that is most likely not providing cover for a heist.
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"Shape of--An Unpayable Mortgage with My Face on It!"
Tags: Ben Greenman , capitalism , comedy , Detroit , heists , stealth , superheroes , Wonder Twins
Even chavs like it
Amazing British series Misfits features a work crew of juvenile delinquents who get zapped by the ol’ superpower-endowing lightning. Despite the well-worn premise, excellent snappy dialogue, cultural specificity and fresh twists makes this the first SF dramedy I’ve been excited about in ages.
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"Even chavs like it"
Tags: dramedy , England , science fiction , superheroes , television
What Will They Say about the Books of 2010?
The librarians who run the blog Awful Library Books were recently on Jimmy Kimmel. Their blog has some disturbing material on it!
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"What Will They Say about the Books of 2010?"
Solid Gold Star Wars Showdown
C3POs vs. Darth Vaders in this solid gold french Star Wars disco showdown. Continue reading
"Solid Gold Star Wars Showdown"
Tags: 1970s , dance , disco , France , movies , music , replicants , robots , space , space opera , Star Wars , versus , video
10 Overlooked Movies of 2009
Tired of seeing the same movies on all the top ten of 2009 lists? Grady Hendrix lists his own “highly subjective list of the Top 10 movies (plus two extras) that were overlooked in 2009.” Continue reading
"10 Overlooked Movies of 2009"
Tags: 2000s , animals , animation , Australia , Bai Ling , Belgium , Berlin , Bobcat Goldthwait , Canada , Chile , comedy , David Carradine , Denmark , Dennis Hopper , documentaries , Ernesto Diaz Espinoza , exploitation , George Lazenby , Germany , giant animals , Grady Hendrix , guns , horror , Jamie Lee Curtis , Japan , Jason Statham , Korea , Laurence Fishburn , lists , Los Angeles , Marko Zaror , martial arts , Matt Dillon , movies , Nimrod Antol , Robin Williams , romance , sex work , shapeshifters , Sion Sono , Spike Lee , superheroes , thrillers , zombies
The Dungeon Masters
The gamers profiled in Keven McAlester’s documentary The Dungeon Masters roll d20 against Mundanity. Twitch has a trailer.
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"The Dungeon Masters"
Tags: community , D&D , dice , documentaries , games , geekery , Keven McAlester , movies , RPGs
Wolverine: Look Sharp
Wolverine shines up his snikt-stickers and sharpens his up-do for the fancy new costumes designed for him at Project Rooftop.
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"Wolverine: Look Sharp"
Tags: art , comics , Marvel , scans , Wolverine
Kick-Ass Trailer
Kick-Ass has some, well,… pretty good trailers. (thanks, Tera and Rebecca) Continue reading
"Kick-Ass Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , comedy , movies , Nicholas Cage , parody , superheroes , trailers , video
The Avatar Treatment
Pascal writes a treatment for Avatar by making a few changes to Pocahontas.
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"The Avatar Treatment"
Tags: 2000s , 3D , aliens , animation , Avatar , CG , Disney , historicals , James Cameron , Native Americans , Pocahontas , space opera
Cruel Gun Stories from Unusual Suspects
This month Teleport City shakes down Nikkatsu Studios from Cruel Gun Story to Detective Bureau 2-3: Go To Hell Bastards! (aka, “The Best Named Film Ever”). Continue reading
"Cruel Gun Stories from Unusual Suspects"
Tags: 1960s , crime , detectives , gangsters , Japan , movies , Nikkatsu , noir , police , procedural , yakuza
Unthawing Action Heroes
Dolph Lundgren and Jean Claude Van Damme have been unthawed for the upcoming Universal Soldier: Regeneration. (Well, JCVD’s only been in the crisper drawer since JCVD).
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"Unthawing Action Heroes"
Tags: 1990s , 2010s , action , Andrei Arlovsky , cyborgs , Dolph Lundgren , guns , Jean-Claude Van Damme , martial arts , military , MMA , movies , robots , sequels , stills , trailers , Universal Soldier , video
“Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work”
Lady, That’s My Skull has fragments from a manifesto written by a disgruntled smoking scientist at a secret base in Nevada: “Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work.” Continue reading
""Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work""
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , conspiracies , geekery , mad science , Nevada , psychic powers , science , telepathy
In Space No One Can Hear You Explode
On the physics of space battles looks at the balance between realism in space battles (at least what we can estimate that would be) and fun stories.
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"In Space No One Can Hear You Explode"
Market Forces Unleashed in Iron Man 2
It’s the invisible hand of the market— Tony Stark privatizes world peace and runs into a little competition from Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko / Whiplash in the trailer for Iron Man 2.
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"Market Forces Unleashed in Iron Man 2"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , capitalism , comics , Don Cheadle , Gary Shandling , Gwyneth Paltrow , Iron Man , Jon Favreau , Marvel , Mickey Rourke , movies , Robert Downey Jr. , Sam Rockwell , Samuel L. Jackson , Scarlett Johansen , sequels , superheroes , Tony Stark , trailers , video
Holiday Link Round Up
2 holiday classics suitable for Xmas or the Solstice (here, here and wth here) and a couple of advent calendars sans the stale chocolate (here and here).
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"Holiday Link Round Up"
Tags: 2000s , Christmas , comics , Cthulhu , geekery , London , Lovecraft , monsters , muppets , music , puppetry , Solstice , UK , video
The Comics Journal, Online
The Comics Journal goes fully online, and give you a brief history of comics criticism Continue reading
"The Comics Journal, Online"
Tags: comics , comics history , criticism , industry , The Comics Journal
Kaiju vs Ultramen
Sometimes it seems like the world is an empty, awesomeless place. And then there is another clip from a Japanese variety/game show. This one involves kaiju and Ultramen.
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"Kaiju vs Ultramen"
Tags: 2000s , dance , fandom , geekery , Japan , kaiju , Michael Jackson , monsters , music , tokusatsu , tv , Ultraman , versus , video
Cartographic Curiosities
Step right up for your glimpse of Slate Magazine’s slideshow collection of cartographic curiosities!
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"Cartographic Curiosities"
Tags: 1500s , 1700s , 1940s , 1990s , 2000s , alternate history , alternate reality , Ancient World , art , California , colonialism , Enlightenment , France , geography , Germany , imaging , maps , moon , Soviet , Turkey , UK , utopia
Universal’s Years of Terror and Longing!
Beware the stalking half-human half beast! Cursed with the thirst for human blood, unconscionable hubris, and demanding a mate, the Monster Legacy site comes to life and walks among us! (as part of promotion for The Wolf Man remake). Thrills! Shock! Suspense!
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"Universal's Years of Terror and Longing!"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , Bela Lugosi , Boris Karloff , Charles Laughton , Claude Rains , disability , Dracula , Elsa Lanchester , Frankenstein , Gill-Man , horror , James Whale , John Carradine , Lon Chaney , mad science , madness , marketing , monsters , movies , mummies , music , posters , science , soundtracks , swamp monsters , undead , vampires , werewolves
Talking More Twilight
Gabe Lezra hits a nerve when he writes about the white man’s burden in Twilight and New Moon and wonders why there’s no Team Bella and the comments at The Wesleyan Argus are all kerfuffled.
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"Talking More Twilight"
Tags: community , fandom , fantasy , feminism , gender , movies , Native Americans , race , racism , romance , sex , Stephanie Meyer , Twilight , undead , urban fantasy , vampires , werewolves , YA
Paa! My Brain!
The poster for Paa calls it “A Very Rare Father-Son, Son-Father story.” It’s a rare father and son story where Abhisheck Bachchan plays the father of a 13-year-old boy with progeria. And who plays his prematurely aging son? His real life father, Amitabh Bachchan. Todd at 4DK has more. The Economic Times interviews Abhishek Bachchan here.
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"Paa! My Brain!"
Tags: Abhisheck Bachchan , Amitabh Bachchan , Bollywood , children , India , interviews , movies , musicals , parenthood , sickness
Time Your Pee Break
Need to know when it’s safe to go at the movies? RunPee.com does the calculating so you don’t have to. (Thanks, Ian!)
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"Time Your Pee Break"
Tags: applications , biology , community , geekery , movies
Are Video Games Moral?
Are video games moral? Yes, but what does “moral” mean, writes Oliver Saenz in “Killing Grannies, Slaughtering Monsters and Leveling the Fuck Up.”
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"Are Video Games Moral?"
Tags: blood , Diablo , ethics , games , Grand Theft Auto , Metal Gear Solid , morality
Confucius
Chow Yun-Fat displays filial piety in nearly every role, now he plays Confucius in the eponymous movie directed by Hu Mei. Twitch has behind the scenes footage (in Chinese) and a trailer.
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"Confucius"
Tags: biography , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Confucius , documentaries , historicals , Hu Mei , movies , trailers , video
RIP, Paul Naschy
Spanish icon Paul Naschy has died. He was best known for his character, the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, but he worked in every aspect of filmmaking from the 1960s till his death. Cinebeats and FEARnet have tributes. (thanks, Colin)
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"RIP, Paul Naschy"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , horror , movies , Paul Naschy , RIP , shifters , Spain , werewolves
Rin-ne Online
Miss Takahashi Rumiko? Sad that InuYasha is complete? Well, you could go over to Viz’ website, where they’re publishing her new manga, Rin-ne, online as its serialized in Japan…
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"Rin-ne Online"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , comics , demons , ghosts , horror , InuYasha , Japan , manga , Rin-ne , romance , Rumiko Takahashi , spirits , the ladies , webcomics
The End of the Zombie Plague
Jim Rossignol shotguns him some zombies, really the zombie infestation of gaming, writing, “My issue with the zombie archetype is that it is largely without a
villain, and we need specific villains” in games.
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"The End of the Zombie Plague"
Tags: 2000s , design , games , horror , memes , survival horror , undead , zombie fatigue , zombies
The Necessary Elements for UFO to be a Hit
Purple wigs, gull-wing doors and lack of affect—Todd from 4DK provides “a list of some elements from the [1960s British] TV series [UFO] that, if they were to be
included in the movie, would lead me to forgive a multitude of sins.” Continue reading
"The Necessary Elements for UFO to be a Hit"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , adaptation , Gerry Anderson , movies , nostalgia , retrofuturism , science fiction , space , tv , UK
Sketching the LittleBigPlanet
Boing Boing has sketches and art from Little Big Planet as well as a little meditation on its wonder, joy and charm. Very little, mostly art.
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"Sketching the LittleBigPlanet"
Tags: 2000s , art , collaboration , console , design , games , LittleBigPlanet , Playstation , Sony
A Magician in the C.I.A.
“In 1953, [John] Mulholland was hired
by the C.I.A. to adapt his craft for its agents. The documents he
produced…were discovered in 2007 by two C.I.A.
historians, who have recently published The Official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception. What could a magician teach spies? Much sleight of hand… used for dosing
drinks, passing pills and exchanging messages.” (Make sure to click through to the slideshow of adapted magic tricks).
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"A Magician in the C.I.A."
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , CIA , Cold War , history , magic , spies , stealth
Do You Like Pie?
Do you like the use of office presentation materials for fun? How about some pie… (Thanks, Room3!)
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"Do You Like Pie?"
Tags: 2000s , capitalism , comedy , work
HK Heist
It’s a heist worthy of Johnnie To and Simon Yam: “On Monday night, robbers stole 228 bottles of vintage Chateau Lafite
Rothschild, France’s prized Bordeaux - a haul valued at 6.8 million
Hong Kong dollars ($877,000), Hong Kong police confirmed.” (via SuperPunch)
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"HK Heist"
Tags: 2000s , China , crime , food , heists , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , Simon Yam
Werner TKO’s Chuck Every Time
5 reasons Werner Herzog is more badass than Chuck Norris (even with his action jeans).
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"Werner TKO's Chuck Every Time"
Tags: Chuck Norris , Germany , Klaus Kinski , memes , movies , Werner Herzog
Interview with John Woo
Andrew O’Herir interviews John Woo, harbinger of “Chinawood,” and reviews the international version of The Battle of Red Cliff (“Doves, lots of doves!”)
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"Interview with John Woo"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 200s , action , China , Classical World , epics , historicals , Hong Kong , interviews , John Woo , Takeshi Kaneshiro , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , war , Zhang Fengyi
RIP Edward Woodward
RIP Edward Woodward. Respectable critics will righly remember you for Breaker Morant, but here in the Gutter we’ll remember you for The Wicker Man, The Equalizer and EastEnders. Obituaries here and here.
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"RIP Edward Woodward"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Eward Woodward , horror , movies , RIP , soaps , spies , tv , UK
No More Uncertain Endings
College Humor fixes ambiguous endings from The Graduate to The Sopranos to No Country for Old Men. I’d be happier if Anton Chigurh were taken out by Llewellyn Moss’ ninjitsu, though.
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"No More Uncertain Endings"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , comedy , endings , movies , tv , video
“Yow,” Being the Operative Word Here
Adi Tantimedh doesn’t like AMC’s remake of The Prisoner. Not at all: “Let’s get this out of the way: The Prisoner remake is shit. Pointless, generic shit.” “Shit,” being the operative word here. (via PWBeat, who have more discussion in their comments).
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""Yow," Being the Operative Word Here"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , allegory , fear and loathing , Ian McKellen , Jim Caviezel , Number Six , Patrick McGoohan , spies , surrealism , The Prisoner , tv , UK
Super Baozi
Super Baozi pays honor to Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury. (via Twitch)
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"Super Baozi"
Tags: 2000s , animation , Bruce Lee , China , food , kung fu , martial arts , movies , shorts , Sun Haipeng , video
Good Morning, Lil’ Cthulhu
It’s a brand new day and the stars are right for Lil’ Cthulhu! Now if only Nickelodeon would pick it up. (Thanks, Steven)
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"Good Morning, Lil' Cthulhu"
Tags: 2000s , animation , children , Cthulhu , fandom , geekery , horror , Lovecraft , movies , shorts , video
“Make Steam Not War”
England’s own clockwork soldier has the temerity to protest conscription, reported in The London Bell, May 12, 1887.
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""Make Steam Not War""
Tags: 1880s , 2000s , alternate history , England , geekery , historicals , robots , steam punk , UK , Victorian , war
Machinarium
Machinarium is a gorgeous game illustrated with colored pencil. Read a review and see the trailer here. (thanks, alex!)
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"Machinarium"
Tags: adventure , games , illustration , Machinariu , point-and-click , puzzle , robots , silents , steam punk
Taking Back Horror
Hey, Freddy and Jason, Fewdio want to take horror back:
“All the members of Fewdio felt that the term “horror” had been hijacked
by gore hounds and slasher fanatics. There’s nothing wrong with those
two subgenres, not by a longshot, but they are subgenres. People hear
horror nowadays and they automatically think slasher. We wanted to take
the name horror back. We want our work to encompass all things eerie,
creepy, macabre, gothic, evil and spooky… not just bloody.” Continue reading
"Taking Back Horror"
Tags: 2000s , Fewdio , horror , interviews , movies , shorts , webseries
Secret Eating Habits of Sperm Whales, Revealed!
National Geographic reveals the secret eating habits of sperm whales in a series of 5 photos by Tony Wu. Okay, it’s no secret they eat giant squid, but National Geographic has pictures! Continue reading
"Secret Eating Habits of Sperm Whales, Revealed!"
Tags: animals , cephalopods , giant animals , photography , science , squids , Tony Wu , underwater , whales
“A Common Nomenclature for LEGO Pieces”
Giles Turnball charts the names 4 children, British and American, use for various Lego pieces. (He also includes the Lego company’s names for them). (via Neatorama). Continue reading
""A Common Nomenclature for LEGO Pieces""
Tags: children , geekery , Lego , toys
Klenginem
Klenginem lays down Eminem’s “Without Me” in the original Klingon, “Suvwl’pu’ qan tu’lu’be.”
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"Klenginem"
Tags: 2000s , fandom , geekery , hip hop , Klingon , linguistics , music , nerdcore , science fiction , space , Star Trek , video
Supernatural Collective Nouns
Everybody knows what you call a group of crows (hint: a murder) and other species of wildlife, but what about supernatural entities?
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"Supernatural Collective Nouns"
O.C.D.
Itchy for your Fewdio fix? The horror film collective has just released, “O.C.D.”: “Obsession. Compulsion. Internet Dating.” Continue reading
"O.C.D."
Tags: 2000s , Fewdio , horror , shorts , video , webseries
Halloween Valu-Pak
Dread Central has pulled together a bunch of Halloween fun from “Attack of the Show” including an interview with Robert Englund and the animated Slasher School series, written by Fresh Ink’s Blair Butler.
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"Halloween Valu-Pak"
Tags: 2000s , animation , Blair Butler , Halloween , horror , interviews , Robert Englund , tv , video
The Eternal Game Backlog
Tales of the Rampant Coyote extols the virtues of waiting to buy a game: “Them’s that wait long enough years get the ‘Platinum Pack’ with all the
expansions fully integrated in and patched to the latest level for a
big discount.” Continue reading
"The Eternal Game Backlog"
Tags: capitalism , community , fandom , games , geekery
Rob Liefield, Scene By Scene
Chris Sims watches The Comic Book Greats: Rob Liefield, in which a 23-year-old Rob Liefield is interviewed by the ever-lovin’ Stan Lee. “[W]hether you think of Liefeld as the dynamic heir to Jack Kirby or the much-deserved punching-bag of the Comics Internet, it makes for a fascinating snapshot of one of the strangest times in the history of the industry.” (via ISB) Continue reading
"Rob Liefield, Scene By Scene"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , comics , interviews , Rob Liefeld , Stan Lee , video
Ghostly Voices from the Past
Old Time Radio has a collection of old horror shows just in time for Halloween. You can find the Mercury Theater of the Air’s “War of the Worlds” and “Dracula,” a collection of Australian Frankenstein shows and some Dark Fantasy, too. Aren’t you glad they aren’t “spooktacular” or “fangtastic?” Continue reading
"Ghostly Voices from the Past"
Tags: 1930s , angry red planet , audio , Australia , Bram Stoker , Dracula , Frankenstein , H.G. Wells , horror , invasion , Orson Welles , radio , science fiction , space , undead , vampires
The Details that Make Life Real and Beautiful
“My inspiration comes from the details that make life real and beautiful to me.” Illustrator, printmaker and zinester, Aijung Kim is interviewed by Pikaland. Check out the lovely art they include. Continue reading
"The Details that Make Life Real and Beautiful"
Tags: Aijung Kim , animals , art , children , comics , fish , illustration , insects , interviews , underwater , zines
“Carnage? Perhaps, But A Wonderful Triumph For Love.”
This gore-soaked wedding proposal is enough to re-animate even my dead, zombie-fatigued heart. (via Boing-Boing and thanks, VoodooRabbit!)
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""Carnage? Perhaps, But A Wonderful Triumph For Love.""
Tags: 2000s , marriage , movies , romance , undead , video , zombies
Gory, Gory Indonesian Horror
Rumah Dara (aka, Macabre) is some cinematographically exquisite gory, gory Indonesian horror. Here’s the trailer, but watch out: gore.
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"Gory, Gory Indonesian Horror"
Tags: 2000s , blood , horror , Indonesia , Mo Bros. , movies , trailers , video
Gothtober 2009
It’s Gothtober Time, check out the screenings at this year’s Gothtober Drive-In!
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"Gothtober 2009"
Tags: 2000s , animation , drive-ins , geekery , Gothtober , Halloween , horror , LGBT , Queerness , video
Secret Identity
Ian’s girlfriend discovers he has a secret in his pants in this animated film by Guillaume Chartier. (thanks, Dr. O!) Continue reading
"Secret Identity"
Tags: animation , anime , Canada , Guillaume Chartier , Montreal , movies , Quebec , superheroes , video
Smash Cut
Hey everybody, Gutter screen editor, Ian Driscoll, has a new movie out, Smash Cut, starring David Hess and Sasha Grey! The official site’s here. Continue reading
"Smash Cut"
Tags: 2000s , blood , Canada , Cultural Gutter , David Hess , film industry , film making , Herschell Gordon Lewis , horror , Ian Driscoll , Lee Demarbre , movies , Ottawa , Sasha Grey , trailers , video
“My First Book of Noir”
People in the 1950s knew what was important, getting their children reading noir young: “‘Mom was right!’ Sweat Weasel thought. ‘I am the world’s worst blackmailer ever!’” Continue reading
""My First Book of Noir""
Tags: 1950s , children , crime , noir , scans , YA
The Mysterious Specimen Cases of Alex CF
A severed dragon head, a monkey’s paw, a vampire pharaoh and an interdimensional cat are all specimens collected and mounted by artist Alex CF. Cryptids, oddities and mythical monsters presented with retro-Victorian naturalism. (thanks, Ariel!) Continue reading
"The Mysterious Specimen Cases of Alex CF"
Tags: Alex CF , alternate history , animals , art , carnival , cryptozoology , dinosaurs , dragons , fairy tales , horror , mad science , magic , monsters , mummies , science , science fiction , steam punk , surrealism , undead , vampires , werewolves
Left Themselves Wide Open…
Wow, they left themselves wide open on this one: a devastating montage called Previously On Lost… Continue reading
"Left Themselves Wide Open..."
Tags: 2000s , Lost , tv , video
“Good Dog”
Is there anything sadder than Laika? (Art by Nick Abadzis, music by Luca Tozzi). Continue reading
""Good Dog""
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , adaptation , animals , biography , Cold War , collaboration , comics , dogs , historicals , history , Laika , Luca Tozzi , music , Nick Abadzis , Russia , science , soundtracks , Soviet , space , Sputnik , video
Sexploitation that’s not Sexist?
The makers of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys have made a sexploitation lesbian heist movie in homage to Russ Meyer: Bitch Slap. It’s no Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! but it’s the movie Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make with Zoe Bell doing the stunt choreography. Continue reading
"Sexploitation that's not Sexist?"
Tags: 2000s , action , America Olivo , Eric Gruendemann , Erin Cummings , gender , heists , homage , interviews , Julia Voth , lesbian , LGBT , Lucy Lawless , Michael Hurst , movies , Queerness , Renee O'Connor , Rick Jacobson , Russ Meyer , sexploitation , spies , stunts , the ladies , trailers , video , Zoe Bell
Handy Tips
Want to know “How to REALLY Help an Author Out”? Among others: “Mow my lawn. (I know it’s a long shot, but I thought I’d throw it out
there. I despise lawn mowing, and it’s going to be a few years before
my kids are old enough to take over.)” Continue reading
"Handy Tips"
Tags: writing
Neat Anatomy Prints
Check out this anatomy diagram of a Gummi Bear (does that even make sense?), along with quite a few other imaginary creatures explained in diagram form.
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"Neat Anatomy Prints"
Tags: anatomy , art , biology , geekery , science , toys
Anti-Kindle
“Jeff Bezos Eats Kittens”? C’mon, Stross, tell us what you really think of the Kindle! Continue reading
"Anti-Kindle"
Tags: 2000s , reading , technology
“If Not For Brent Spiner, I’d Be Illiterate
LeVar Burton isn’ t the only bridge between Star Trek and the reading rainbow. Dan at Faust’s Fantastically Fantasmagoric Forum explains how a media tie-in novel, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Metamorphosis transformed him into a reader. Continue reading
""If Not For Brent Spiner, I'd Be Illiterate"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton , reading , science fiction , Star Trek , tie-ins , tv , YA
“Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion”
What is “Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion?” It’s a digital art exhibit on the back of a trailer in Australia. “Eight artists from five countries have mashed together snippets of
online culture - chatrooms, Second Life, online dream journals, first
person shooters and more - to make some interesting observations about
what cyberspace has become.” See it here. (via Articulate) Continue reading
""Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion""
Tags: 2000s , art , Australia , autobiography , community , exhibition , games , internet , movies , shooters , video
Inside a Haunted Mansion
FXGuy7 has video of a Haunted Mansion on the assembly floor. Here are two birdseye views (one, two) and a walkthrough. Continue reading
"Inside a Haunted Mansion"
Tags: Halloween , horror , special effects , video
“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!”
You are interested in the future, because that is where you will live and you must decide what you will do to survive Plan 9. (Thanks, Eric, for the Plan 9 from Outer Space title quote).
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""Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!""
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , adaptation , aliens , Ed Wood , fear and loathing , ghouls , horror , movies , remakes , science fiction , space , trailers , undead , video , zombies
The Clash Trailer
Twitch has the trailer for The Clash / Bâỹ Rông, the new film from The Rebel stars Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo. This time, they have guns and sharp clothes. (via Kung Fu Cinema) Continue reading
"The Clash Trailer"
Tags: 2000s , action , guns , Johnny Tri Nguyen , Le Thanh Son , martial arts , movies , trailers , Veronica Ngo , video , Vietnam
Manga Hulk!
Manga Hulk smash and cry! Colin from Kung Fu Fridays has posted scans of a 1970s Hulk manga drawn by Kazuo Koike. Continue reading
"Manga Hulk!"
Tags: 1970s , adaptation , comics , Japan , Kazuo Koike , manga , scans , superheroes , the Hulk
No Fatties, No Hamsters, No Crazies
Back off bitches, Fred the Viking is mine. Love and 1980s technology combine for a new world of romance in this collage of dating videos. (Thanks, Jen!).
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"No Fatties, No Hamsters, No Crazies"
Tags: 1980s , gender , romance , technology , the ladies , video
Big Game Hunting: Space Invaders
Where would the internet be without Photoshop? Some surprisingly realistic “photos” about hunting a famous video game enemy that comes out of the sky… Continue reading
"Big Game Hunting: Space Invaders"
Tags: 2000s , art , games , geekery , guns , photography , photoshop , Space Invaders
Solomon Kane: Puritan Swordsman
Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane buckles his swash, fights the Devil’s Reaper and becomes a puritan swordsman in, well, Solomon Kane—a much better action movie with Christian themes in which the hero is crucified than The Passion of the Christ.
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"Solomon Kane: Puritan Swordsman"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , 2000s , action , adventure , Christianity , conventions and festivals , horror , James Purefoy , Max von Sydow , Michael J. Bassett , Midnight Madness , movies , Pete Postlethwaite , pulp , religion , Robert E. Howard , Texas , trailers , UK , video
Clashing with Star Wars
Two items where Star Wars runs up against participatory culture: the completely awesome Animals with Lightsabers and the completely logical one-off joke The Hook. Continue reading
"Clashing with Star Wars"
Tags: 2000s , animals , cartoons , comics , community , fandom , geekery , memes , photoshop , Star Wars
The Right Social Circles
Bill Harris on Play: “When I meet a grown-up who does not know how to play, I’m not
interested in talking to them. I would much rather talk to children,
who always understand play and always know how to laugh.” Continue reading
"The Right Social Circles"
The Gamer Generation’s Parenting Style
In Properly Molding the Gamer Child:
“I
strongly encourage both girls’ fascination with Pokemon. Pokemon
provide fulfillment to every human being’s basic desire to have an army
of monsters. Also, Pokemon spend all their time fighting each other,
which is good. For what other reason would one want to have an army of
monsters?” Continue reading
"The Gamer Generation's Parenting Style"
Tags: children , community , fandom , games , parenthood , pokemon
A Cast of Thousands and Still Token Females
Marie Brennan over at SF Novelists looks at epic fantasy and the Bechdel test: “Two hundred pages into the book, and there’s been three named female
characters. One is evil. The second existed only for a brief scene, for
the purpose of highlighting how attractive the third one is.” Continue reading
"A Cast of Thousands and Still Token Females"
Tags: epics , fantasy , feminism , gender , sexism , the ladies , writing
More Ninjas!
Ninjas throwing swords and flipping in the forest and Ken’ichi Matsuyama from Death Note and Detroit Metal City plays another manga hero in Kamui Gaiden. Continue reading
"More Ninjas!"
Tags: assassins , fantasy , historicals , Japan , Ken'ichi Matsuyama , manga , movies , ninjas , Shirato Sanpei , stealth , trailers , video
Spectacularly… Bad!
Presenting a flashback to Tattoo Assassin, a rather startlingly awful Mortal Kombat clone. Continue reading
"Spectacularly... Bad!"
Tags: 1990s , action , Bob Gale , design , developers , games , history , martial arts , Mortal Kombat , replicants , tattoo assassin
Jenkins’ List
Henry Jenkins writes up a handy list of some comics he’s enjoyed recently, divvied into stories of everyday life, superheroes, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and some unclassifiable items. Continue reading
"Jenkins' List"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Alan Moore , Alison Bechdel , allegory , Antarctica , Art Spiegelman , Bill Willingham , biography , Brian Bendis , Brian K. Vaughn , Brian Wood , Canada , Charles Burns , Chris Ware , Classical World , Craig Thompson , Daniel Clowes , Dash Shaw , dystopia , end times , Eric Shanower , fantasy , futurism , gender , Germany , Greece , Greg Rucka , Holocaust , Hope Larson , horror , Iliad , Iran , Jeremy Love , Jim Gownley , Kim Deitch , Kurt Busiek , LGBT , lists , Los Bros. Hernandez , Lousiana , Luna Bros. , Marjane Satrapi , Mike Allred , Nazis , Neil Gaiman , New York City , Paul Chadwick , Queerness , race , racism , Robert Kirkman , science fiction , Seth , superheroes , Terry Moore , the ladies , Toronto , Troy , UK , Warren Ellis , zombies
Spying on the Universe
The Hubble’s been busy spying on the universe. It has images of nebulae and the “spectacular outflow of Markarian 817” for your perusal. Continue reading
"Spying on the Universe"
Tags: 2000s , imaging , photography , science , space
Symbol
Matsumoto Hitoshi has not made an art film, but it sure looks like one. Continue reading
"Symbol"
Tags: 2000s , allegory , art , comedy , conventions and festivals , Hitoshi Matsumoto , Japan , lucha libre , Mexico , Midnight Madness , movies , surrealism
A Town Called Panic
A stop-motion plastic cowboy, Indian and horse all live together. In Belgium. And they’re adapted by Aardman Animations. And they have a movie, too. Here’s part of an episode of, A Town Called Panic. Continue reading
"A Town Called Panic"
Tags: Aardman Animation , animation , Belgium , children , comedy , Harryhausen , movies , stop-motion , trailers , tv , UK , video
13: Game of Death
A down on his luck salesman gets a mysterious phone call promising him 100 million baht if he undertakes 13 tasks that go increasingly bad. No fun to live, but really good as a film. Continue reading
"13: Game of Death"
Tags: Chookiat Sakveerakul , Eakasit Thairaat , movies , Noi Krissada Sukosol , Thailand , thrillers
A Graph about a Book
Writer Hines examines his writing process and comes up with The Stages of Book Love - I like where the level where the process ends (Hines returns to the joke and vows to actually read Twilight later). Continue reading
"A Graph about a Book"
Whoa, Inflammatory Rhetoric on the Internet about Nerdy Topics…
Animator Mark Mayerson takes a stab at the recent big business deal: “Disney and Marvel: Two Creative Failures.” Continue reading
"Whoa, Inflammatory Rhetoric on the Internet about Nerdy Topics..."
Tags: capitalism , Disney , Marvel
Grr, Argh, Trailer Round-up
Grr, argh! Here’s a little undead creatures trailer round-up from the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program: Daybreakers, Survival of the Dead and [Rec]2. Grr, argh! Continue reading
"Grr, Argh, Trailer Round-up"
Tags: 2000s , Australia , Canada , conventions and festivals , dystopia , Ethan Hawke , George Romero , horror , Jaume Belaguero , Midnight Madness , movies , Paco Plaza , plague , Sam Neill , Spain , Spierig Bros. , Toronto , trailers , undead , vampires , video , viruses , Westerns , Willem Dafoe , zombies
RIP, Shing Fui-On
Hong Kong star Shing Fui-On has died of cancer. Most Gutter readers likely remember him as the psychotic Triad head in John Woo’s The Killer. Here’s a clip from his leading role in The Blue Jean Monster. (And speaking Hakka with Chow Yun-Fat). Continue reading
"RIP, Shing Fui-On"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , action , China , Chow Yun-Fat , comedy , detectives , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , John Woo , movies , police , RIP , Shing Fui-On , Triads , Tsui Hark , tv
Confessions of the B-Masters Cabal
The B-masters confess movies they haven’t seen. “My viewing of Zombie Lake was one of those events that lead
you to question everything in your life that has lead up to it. I
wouldn’t necessarily say that it was a “where did I go wrong” moment,
because many of the choices that brought me to it couldn’t in
themselves be considered mistakes. Nonetheless, when you get to the
point where you see watching Zombie Lake as some kind of solemn obligation, it’s a circumstance that bares some investigation.” (More shame here)
Continue reading
"Confessions of the B-Masters Cabal"
Tags: 1930s , 1950s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , airplanes , Dana Andrews , dinosaurs , disaster , fear and loathing , France , Frankenstein , George Lucas , giant animals , horror , insects , Lyle Talbot , Mexico , monsters , movies , Nazis , science , science fiction , Spain , spiders , Stephen Spielberg , the ladies , undead , war , zombies
Charlie Brown at 19, 35 and 65
“If the Peanuts characters aged like real people.” Scans! Continue reading
"Charlie Brown at 19, 35 and 65"
Tags: 1970s , Bob Clarke , Charles Schulz , comedy , comics , Frank Jacobs , Mad Magazine , parody , Peanuts , scans , strips
Indonesian James Bond
James Bond, 007 contra Komplotan Pistol Emas. That’s right, scans of a 1967 Indonesian comic version of The Man with the Golden Gun by Ganes TH. You might like it more than Roger Moore. Continue reading
"Indonesian James Bond"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , adaptation , comics , Ganes TH , Ian Fleming , Indonesia , Roger Moore , scans , spies , UK
Komik Indonesia
Devil Dog de la Rosa! The Blind Man from the Ghost Cave! Gundala, Son of Thunder and the Mahabharata’s own Bisma! Komik Indonesia has a huge gallery of cover art! Glaaar! (onomatopeia for thunder in Indonesian). Continue reading
"Komik Indonesia"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , adventure , animals , comics , covers , Djair , dogs , epics , Ganes TH , Hans Jaladara , historicals , horror , Indonesia , Jakarta , Jan Mintaraga , martial arts , Medan , myths , R.A. Kosasih , romance , scans , silat , superheroes , Yogyakarta
Phobia 2 Trailer
Hey, Phobia 2, what’s with the “scare quotes?” Continue reading
"Phobia 2 Trailer"
Tags: anthology , Bangkok , cars , film making , ghosts , horror , monks , movies , paranormality , Thailand , trailers , undead , video , zombies
“Alien 0 or Alien 5?”
Continuity’s at risk in the new Alien prequel. Faced with “the space jockey,” xenomorph eggs in the cargo hold and what the corporation knew and when they knew it, Martin Anderson foresees “some nasty acts of canon-hacking.” Continue reading
""Alien 0 or Alien 5?""
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Aliens , aliens , canon , continuity , futurism , horror , movies , prequel , Ridley Scott , science fiction , sequels , space , spaceships , survival horror
Bubba Nosferatu Is Still Rising From The Grave
Bubba Nosferatu continues rising from the grave. Ron Perlman says so on Fangoria Radio. Continue reading
"Bubba Nosferatu Is Still Rising From The Grave"
Tags: 2000s , audio , Don Coscarelli , Elvis , horror , Joe Lansdale , movies , music , Paul Giamatti , podcasts , Ron Perlman , satire , undead , vampires
Comic Critics Comic
The narrative frames and meta possibilities of “Comic Critics” webcomic could crack my head open, but they don’t. Instead it’s a neat, deeply geeky take on comics, criticism and the industry with a storyline. Special neatness includes this interview with Brian Cronin and this dramatization of Dwayne McDuffie’s time as JLA editor. (via Comics Should Be Good)
Continue reading
"Comic Critics Comic"
Tags: Brandon Hanvey , Brian Cronin , comics , criticism , Dwayne McDuffie , industry , interviews , JLA , Sean Whitmore , webcomics
Missing Duncan
“Maybe it’s too bad that a game with such a strong visual imagination is entirely about kicking people in the face. But violence is your compass. You’d be lost without it.” It’s only been a few weeks since Duncan has stopped writing his fine, thoughtful pieces on games, but I miss them. Go read Hit Self Destruct whether you like games or not. (The piece I quoted is here). Continue reading
"Missing Duncan"
Tags: blood , console , criticism , design , designers , developers , games , industry , RIP , videogames , writing
Choosing the Moon
Apollo 11 lands on the moon again in real time at We Choose the Moon. (via farlane.blog) Continue reading
"Choosing the Moon"
Tags: 1960s , audio , Buzz Aldrin , history , John F. Kennedy , Michael Collins , Neil Armstrong , science , space , spaceships , the moon , video
More Real Fight: Raging Phoenix starring Jija Yanin
Jija kicks organ-stealing gangster ass with hip hop and drunken Muay Thai. It’s Raging Phoenix with Jija Yanin, B-Boys Thai, Kazu and champion bodybuilder Roongtawan. (via Wise Kwai) Continue reading
"More Real Fight: Raging Phoenix starring Jija Yanin"
Tags: 2000s , action , Bangkok , contemporaries , hip hop , Jeeja Yanin , Kazu , kung fu , martial arts , movies , muay thai , music , Thailand
Gail Simone Interviews John Ostrander
“When I first wrote Villains United, I was eager to
have my chance to write one of the coolest characters in the DCU,
Deadshot. I knew full well, like a lot of writers before me, that
John [Ostrander] was THE Deadshot writer, and I knew if I had the chance, I would
do whatever I could to see him write the character again, even if it
makes my version look horrid in comparison.” Gail Simone interviews John Ostrander. Continue reading
"Gail Simone Interviews John Ostrander"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Barbara Gordon , Batman , comics , comics history , Deadshot , Floyd Lawton , Gail Simone , GrimJack , Hawkman , horror , industry , interviews , J'Onn J'Onzz , Jan Duursema , John Ostrander , Martian Manhunter , mercenaries , Oracle , science fiction , Secret Six , spies , Star Wars , Suicide Squad , superheroes , supervillainy , Tom Mandrake , Westerns , writing
RIP John Hughes
Stepanie Zacharek looks over John Hughes’ complicated, heartfelt and well-targeted movie legacy. Continue reading
"RIP John Hughes"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , Anthony Michael Hall , Chicago , comedy , Illinois , John Hughes , Judd Nelson , Michigan , Midwest , Molly Ringwald , movies , RIP , romance , teens , Wisconsin , YA
Pets or Meat?
“Any time a scary movie apparently involves a decent-sized cast of
people placed in a closed environment, it’s a good time to play a game
I like to call Pets or Meat.”
Continue reading
"Pets or Meat?"
Tags: games , geekery , horror , Milla Jovovich , movies , slasher , Steve Zahn , survival horror , Timothy Olyphant
More Reasons To Love Doom Patrol
The Most Insane Moments of Doom Patrol, according to Chris Sims.
Continue reading
"More Reasons To Love Doom Patrol"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , animals , apes , Arnold Drake , comics , cyborgs , disability , Grant Morrison , lists , mad science , robots , scans , superheroes , surrealism
Matter Eater Lad Before the Retcon
Again With The Comics misses Matter Eater Lad’s solo adventures eating matter already, now that the Legion of Super-Heroes has been retconned in Final Crisis. There are scans. Continue reading
"Matter Eater Lad Before the Retcon"
Tags: aliens , comics , continuity , event comics , futurism , Legion of Super-Heroes , Matter Eater Lad , scans , space , superheroes
WWII Reaches Aldebaran
Strange Maps charts tv signals as they reach Alpha Centauri, Chi Draconis, Arcturus and Aldebaran. See the map here. Continue reading
"WWII Reaches Aldebaran"
Tags: aliens , science , space , technology , tv
Man not Superman
Post-it Note Stories features an illustrated adaptation of Jonathan Goldstein’s story “Man not Superman”. Because, who hasn’t had a crush on Lois Lane? Continue reading
"Man not Superman"
Tags: comics , Jonathan Goldstein , Lois Lane , Superman
Vampire, Or Maybe, Werewolf
When’s a vampire really more of a werewolf? When it’s Toppei from Osamu Tezuka’s Vampire. Todd from 4DK writes about the mostly live-action television adaptation, starring Tezuka as himself, beret and all, and they remind him of both Kurosawa’s High and Low and Fukasaku’s Black Lizard. Continue reading
"Vampire, Or Maybe, Werewolf"
Tags: 1960s , adaptation , Akira Kurosawa , animation , comics , horror , Japan , Kinji Fukasaku , noir , Osamu Tezuka , paranormality , shapeshifters , special effects , Toei , tv , vampires , video , werewolves , witches
Tentacles! Jane Austen!
Jane Austen, co-author of the popular, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, has a new novel that details more than love or manners in the Regency Era. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters reveals shocking and tentacled attacks on respectable society. Click through to the book trailer. Continue reading
"Tentacles! Jane Austen!"
Tags: 1810s , Ben H. Winters , cephalopods , giant animals , historicals , horror , illustration , Jane Austen , monsters , piracy , Regency , romance , scans , trailers , UK , underwater , video
Streaming Kung Fu
Stream the Fu at Crunchy Roll. (Also, stream anime and “Asian entertainment”). Continue reading
"Streaming Kung Fu"
Tags: action , animation , anime , China , Hong Kong , Japan , kung fu , martial arts , movies , Tai Seng , Taiwan , video
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
Average Babycart Assassin/Lone Wolf and Cub movie not have enough arterial spray for you? Not enough mutilation in Ichi the Killer? Neither of them have enough Japanese schoolgirls? Try Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, from the makers of Tokyo Gore Police and RoboGeisha.
Continue reading
"Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl"
Tags: blood , Frankenstein , high school , horror , Japan , movies , Naoyuki Tomomatsu , undead , vampires , Yoshihiro Nishimura
Kirk in Black and White, Kirk in Color
Fren Attic writes of growing up in a family of Scottish “proto-Trekkies”: “[T]he image that burned itself on to our retinas was the bridge of the
U.S.S. Enterprise. …Only this time they were devoid of their dull,
grey uniforms. Kirk was yellow, Spock blue, Scotty a shocking red. We
had never witnessed anything like this. It was like walking in to a
Jackson Pollock painting. That image lives with me to this day, in
sparkling Technicolor.” (via Blogs from the Mothership)
Continue reading
"Kirk in Black and White, Kirk in Color"
Tags: 1970s , Jackson Pollack , movies , science fiction , Scotland , Star Trek , technology , tv , UK
Le Corbusier on crack
In terms of architecture, what’s the #1 comic book city? Answering that question sounds like a job for The Architects’ Journal! Continue reading
"Le Corbusier on crack"
Tags: architecture , comics , lists , top 10
“The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots”
Zhang Yimou is remaking the Coen Bros. Blood Simple, or as it will be known from now on, The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots. (It’s going to star Sun Honglei from Mongol). Continue reading
""The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots""
Tags: adaptation , blood , China , Coen Brothers , crime , detectives , Hong Kong , movies , noir , remakes , Sun Honglei , Zhang Yimou
Guess who Blair Butler ran into?
Blair Butler ran into comics writer, Grant Morrison, at Meltdown Comics in L.A. Wanna look? Continue reading
"Guess who Blair Butler ran into?"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , adaptation , Animal Man , animals , California , comics , Grant Morrison , interviews , Los Angeles , movies , Scotland , superheroes , UK , video , We3
Happy International Zine Month!
July is International Zine Month—make a zine in 24 hours, attend events in Glastonbury, Portland and Minneapolis, get cut’n’pastey! Continue reading
"Happy International Zine Month!"
Tags: comics , community , fandom , geekery , movies , romance , science fiction , zines
RoboGeisha: The Geisha War Begins
“Geisha is Robot.” Geisha fight samurai, giant temples and lady tengu. Geisha also transform. Continue reading
"RoboGeisha: The Geisha War Begins"
Tags: 2000s , action , blood , exploitation , geisha , horror , Japan , mech , movies , Noboru Iguchi , robots , samurai , science fiction , sexploitation , the ladies , trailers , video , Yoshihiro Nishimura
Karl Malden, RIP
Mladen Sekulovich, aka Karl Malden, has died at 96. He was in many, many entertainments, including Meteor, the legendary 1970s cop show The Streets of San Francisco, some very respectable films and many, many Westerns like How The West Was Won, Nevada Smith and One-Eyed Jacks. Obituaries here, here and here.
Continue reading
"Karl Malden, RIP"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , California , Chicago , crime , detectives , Karl Malden , Midwest , military , movies , police , prisons , procedural , RIP , San Francisco , science fiction , Steve McQueen , Tennessee Williams , trailers , tv , video , war , Westerns
Posterati
In support of my latest Screen article, there’s nothing disappointing about these re-imagined posters by Olly Moss. Or x-factor-e’s De Niro stream. Or the endlessly entertaining Film the blanks (Sudoku for film geeks). Continue reading
"Posterati"
Tags: art , Film the Blanks , movies , Olly Moss , posters , Robert De Niro , Sudoku
Interview with Joe Lansdale
Champion Mojo storyteller Joe Lansdale talks about what makes him a champion: a crazy number of upcoming stories, a Jonah Hex animated short and his mighty understanding of the publishing industry.(Thanks, Chuck!)
Continue reading
"Interview with Joe Lansdale"
Tags: animation , audio , comics , horror , Joe Lansdale , Jonah Hex , movies , mysteries , podcasts , publishing , reading , Warner Bros. , Weird Westerns , Westerns , writing
“Asian movies are dead in America and no one cares.”
“If the post-“Crouching Tiger” boom in Asian cinema was an irrational,
Dutch-tulip-style bubble, then the virtual disappearance of Asian films
from American screens is an equally irrational overcorrection.” Andrew O’Herir interviews Grady Hendrix (NYAFF and formerly Kaiju Shakedown), Keith Allison (Teleport City) and Todd Stadtman (4DK) about corrections, industry incompetence and piracy. Continue reading
""Asian movies are dead in America and no one cares.""
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , capitalism , China , film history , film industry , film making , Grady Hendrix , Hong Kong , industry , Japan , Korea , movies , NYAFF , Thailand
ComicKaze in Cambodia!
One page, one artist, one hour—2 countries. See some of the Cambodian comics here. Continue reading
"ComicKaze in Cambodia!"
Tags: 2000s , Australia , Cambodia , comic jams , comics , community , scans , video
Talking Shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore
Savage Critics Jeff Lester and Graeme McMillan talk some shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore, smart shit. And if that’s not enough, the talk a lot about other comics. But hearing them talk about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore is enough if that’s all you have time for. Continue reading
"Talking Shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore"
Tags: Alan Moore , audio , Batman , comics , criticism , event comics , Grant Morrison , League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , podcasts
Twilight, Remixed
It was bound to happen: Buffy vs. Edward. (via Smart Bitches). Continue reading
"Twilight, Remixed"
Tags: Buffy , geekery , horror , monsters , movies , paranormality , romance , tv , Twilight , vampires , versus , video
Lathed vs. Laved
The Smart Bitches beg us all, “FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS TURGID, STOP USING THE WORD LATHE” because it’s “NOT SOMETHING ANY MAN WANTS DONE TO HIS MANJUNK.” They have woodworking videos, too. Continue reading
"Lathed vs. Laved"
Tags: erotica , romance , video , writing
NYAFF 2009 Video
Sad you couldn’t make the New York Asian Film Festival this year with all its pink films, Minoru Kawasaki and Wai Ka-Fai? It’s time to do something about it. Something sedentary, like watch the Q&A and festival fun from the comfort of your sofa or at your desk. Continue reading
"NYAFF 2009 Video"
Tags: China , conventions and festivals , Hong Kong , India , Japan , Korea , Minoru Kawasaki , movies , NYAFF , video , Wai Ka-Fai
NYAFF 2009 and Hypnotic Escapism
The New York Asian Film Festival wants to help you escape joblessness, global pandemics and despair. Why don’t you let it? (Info here). Continue reading
"NYAFF 2009 and Hypnotic Escapism"
Tags: action , blood , Bollywood , China , comedy , conventions and festivals , Donnie Yen , fandom , fantasy , geekery , Grady Hendrix , guns , Hong Kong , horror , India , Japan , kaiju , Kaiju Shakedown , Korea , kung fu , Minoru Kawasaki , movies , NYAFF , pink films , Simon Yam , tokusatsu , Westerns , wuxia
45 Ways of Looking at the Mario Bros.
The Design Inspiration collects 45 portraits of the Mushroom Kingdom’s favorite heroes, Mario and Luigi. Continue reading
"45 Ways of Looking at the Mario Bros."
Tags: art , console , games , geekery , Mario , NES , nintendo
Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend
Beggar So is back, laying out some drunken style justice. And this time he’s Chiu Man-Chuk (aka, Vincent Zhao Wen-Zhou) in Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend. Wanna look? Continue reading
"Yuen Woo-Ping's True Legend"
Tags: Andy On , Beggar So , China , Chiu Man-Chuk , dance , David Carradine , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , Michelle Yeoh , trailers , video , wushu , wuxia , Yuen Woo-Ping , Zhao Wen-Zhou
Self-Defence for Gentlemen (and Suffragettes)
Scare off impudent ruffians and defeat any self-styled Goliath with only your cane or umbrella! Learn Bartitsu, the martial art favored by many Victorian (and some Edwardian) ladies and gentlemen! View a short documentary here. (via Kung Fu Cinema) Continue reading
"Self-Defence for Gentlemen (and Suffragettes)"
Tags: 1890s , 1900s , 1990s , 2000s , Arthur Conan Doyle , Bartitsu , boxing , E. W. Barton-Wright , Edwardian , feminism , history , Japan , jiu-jitsu , judo , London , martial arts , martial arts history , MMA , savate , Sherlock Holmes , stick fighting , Switzerland , UK , Victorian , video
“There was a time when photoshop disasters didn’t exist.”
Guns. Swords. Paint. Old time Japanese movie posters at Wild Grounds “because there was a time when photoshop disasters didn’t exist.” Continue reading
""There was a time when photoshop disasters didn't exist.""
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , art , crime , detectives , gangsters , Japan , movies , Nikkatsu , noir , police , posters , scans , Yakuza
Tragedy Systems in Grand Theft Auto IV
“Death is permanent and, in all works of fiction, predetermined. Except in video games, where most of the time it is neither.” At Hit Self-Destruct, Duncan writes about agency, time travel and death. Continue reading
"Tragedy Systems in Grand Theft Auto IV"
Tags: agency , death , games , gangsters , Grand Theft Auto , narrative , narrative trees , sandbox , time travel , vengeance
RIP, Ho Meng-Hua
It’s a sad time for fan of martial arts and Shaw Bros. Filmmaker Ho Meng-Hua has died. Ho started in the 1950s at Cathay studios, but his wuxia and kaiju work at Shaw Bros. Studios is probably more familiar to most fans. He directed Cheng Pei-Pei and Lo Lieh in The Lady Hermit and Danny Lee in The Mighty Peking Man. Read Frederic Ambroisine’s tribute here and Kung Fu Cinema’s here.
Continue reading
"RIP, Ho Meng-Hua"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , apes , Cathay Studios , Cheng Pei-Pei , China , Danny Lee , Ho Meng-Hua , Hong Kong , kaiju , kung fu , Lo Lieh , martial arts , monsters , movies , RIP , Shaw Bros. , wuxia
RIP, Shih Kien
Shih Kien has died at 96. He was 61 when he played the villainous Mr. Han opposite Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. By then he’d played Villain Kin opposite Kwan Tak-Hing’s Wong Fei-Hung and various villains threatening Connie Chan Po-Chu and Josephine Siao Fong-Fong for decades. Make sure to follow the link to tributes from the HK film community and Jean Lukitsch’s article about him. Continue reading
"RIP, Shih Kien"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 2000s , action , Bruce Lee , China , Connie Chan Po-Chu , Hong Kong , Josephine Siao Fong-Fong , kung fu , Kwan Tak-Hing , martial arts , movies , RIP , Shaw Bros. , Shih Kien , tv , Wong Fei-Hung , wuxia
The Union Forever
It’s card-carrying union members vs. scabs in Crane Wars: “You make your towers, as quickly as you can, topping them off with a
top part to finish them. Alternatively, lob buildings or trucks at the
scabs at work across the street. Or both.” Continue reading
"The Union Forever"
Tags: Blurst , construction , Flashbang , games , physics , trailers , versus , video , work
Suzuki Seijun’s Japanese Noir
Todd at 4DK has decided to “throw some verbiage” in Suzuki Seijun’s direction with reviews of and stills from Underworld Beauty and the best titled film ever, Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! I love it when Todd throws words around.
Continue reading
"Suzuki Seijun's Japanese Noir"
Tags: 1950s , crime , detectives , Japan , Nikkatsu , noir , police , scans , Seijun Suzuki , stills
Re-Taking Pelham 1 2 3
Linda Holmes and Andrew O’Hehir see some things in John Travolta’s The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 villain: “the lamentably noisy bad guy” replacing a more chilling, bureaucratic evil and a far more awesome possible movie: “Freddie Mercury …. starring in some cracked Tony Scott movie where
he gets awesome wireless reception in a subway tunnel and shoots a
bunch of people in between verses of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody[.]’” Continue reading
"Re-Taking Pelham 1 2 3"
Tags: 1970s , 2000s , adaptation , crime , Denzel Washington , detectives , Freddie Mercury , Hector Elizondo , heists , James Gandolfini , Jerry Stiller , John Travolta , John Turturro , Martin Balsam , movies , New York City , procedural , remakes , Robert Shaw , supervillainy , Tony Scott , villains , Walter Matthau
No. 6, Laid Out
Number Six will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered, but in the 1970s, he was roughed, laid out, sketched, penciled, inked, scanned and collected. Scans of Jack Kirby’s The Prisoner at the Madness. (TwoMorrows has some analysis).
Continue reading
"No. 6, Laid Out"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , allegory , comics , Jack Kirby , Marvel , Number Six , Patrick McGoohan , scans , spies , The Prisoner , tv , UK
Klingon vs. Esperanto—Sindarin Wins!
Andrew O’Hehir reads a book about artificial language and decides: “Tolkien’s languages, one might say, form the missing link between
Esperanto and Klingon.” Continue reading
"Klingon vs. Esperanto--Sindarin Wins!"
Tags: elves , Esperanto , fantasy , Klingon , language , linguistics , LOTR , science fiction , Star Trek , Tolkien , versus
Smart Bitches, Trashy Radio
Smart Bitches Candy Tan and Sarah Wendell talk man-titty vs. man-boobs, Romance masculinity and their favorite bad euphemisms, but don’t too much into the heroine’s “magic hoo-hoo” with Australian comedian and radio host, Alan Brough. Hilarity ensues! (We can’t recommend the Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels site enough, whether you read romance or not). Continue reading
"Smart Bitches, Trashy Radio"
Tags: Alan Brough , audio , Australia , Candy Tan , gender , interviews , masculinity , Melbourne , radio , romance , Sarah Wendell
Super Wizard Stardust and Fantomah, On the Air!
Just can’t get enough of disturbing Golden Age comics auteur Fletcher Hanks? Stardust the Super Wizard and Fantomah go on the air on WFMU. Or at least Paul Karasik discusses Hanks, which is a much better situation. Continue reading
"Super Wizard Stardust and Fantomah, On the Air!"
Tags: audio , comics , Fletcher Hanks , Golden Age , interviews , Paul Karasik , radio , WFMU
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and the Haunted Hoo-Ha
At Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog read this heartfelt paean to Jim Balent’s fan-service-tastic, Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and what could be the worst piece of dialogue in comics history… or the best: ‘You have to get out of here. Your vagina is haunted.’” Chris has lots more to say about Tarot. (And personally, if my ghostly vagina were constantly bleeding, I wouldn’t only be wearing a ghostly thong. Just sayin’). (thanks, ‘col!) Continue reading
"Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and the Haunted Hoo-Ha"
Tags: comics , exploitation , fan service , fear and loathing , feminism , gender , ghosts , horror , hospitals , Jim Balent , magic , medicals , nurses , sexism , sexploitation , Tarot Witch of the Black Rose , the ladies , undead , underworld
Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex
Here’s some pictures of Josh Brolin looking kinda pretty as everybody’s favorite Weird Western bounty hunter, Jonah Hex. (See comics covers for less pretty). Cinematical is worried they’ll be pulled down. Continue reading
"Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex"
Tags: adaptation , bounty hunters , comics , covers , historicals , horror , Jonah Hex , movies , Nineteenth Century , scans , Weird Westerns , Westerns
RIP, David Carradine
Cinematical remembers David Carradine: “Even as his resume became filled with more and more television work and
direct to video movies during the late 80s and into the 90s, he
maintained an edge to the characters he played and, where appropriate,
a spirited air of bemusement.” Continue reading
"RIP, David Carradine"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , cars , David Carradine , Death Race 2000 , dystopia , exploitation , Kill Bill , kung fu , movies , Quentin Tarantino , RIP , tv , Woody Guthrie
Protecting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen must be protected and Donnie Yen’s gonna do it. Kung Fu Cinema has footage from Bodyguards and Assassins storyboards and all. Continue reading
"Protecting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen"
Tags: 1900s , assassins , China , Eric Tsang , Fan Bing-Bing , historicals , Hong Kong , kung fu , Leon Lai , martial arts , MMA , movies , Nicholas Tse , Peter Chan Ho-Sun , Philip Ng , Simon Yam , Stephen Tung Wei , Sun Yat-Sen , Tony Leung Ka-Fai , trailers , video , Wang Wenjie , Xing Yu
The Black Dragon’s Revenge
Ron Van Clief. the Black Dragon, remembers Bruce Lee, Carter Wong, Jimi Hendrix, racism and underground fighting in the 1950s and working with Blaxploitation auteur, Berry Gordy:
“What made The Last Dragon so special is that it was shot in New York
City and it starred an African American. No drugs, no prostitution.
Just a clean Disney-like story. I consider it a martial arts fantasy.
They used my Chinese Goju virtues in the film. It was excellent that
over 30 of my students worked on the film.” Continue reading
"The Black Dragon's Revenge"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , action , afrogeekery , Berry Gordy , blaxploitation , Bruce Lee , Carter Wong , interviews , Jimi Hendrix , karate , martial arts , movies , New York City , race , racism
Sample the Awesomeness at Book View Cafe
Primates love samplers. It’s not something out of speculative fiction. It’s a fact and Book View Cafe knows it, so they’re offering a free sampler of their premium content. Continue reading
"Sample the Awesomeness at Book View Cafe"
Tags: downloads , fantasy , freeware , horror , science fiction
“Able Baker perfect. No injuries or other difficulties.”
The title alone makes this story about the first primates in space worthwhile: “After 50 Years, Space Monkeys Not Forgotten.” Continue reading
""Able Baker perfect. No injuries or other difficulties." "
Tags: animals , audio , Cold War , dogs , Laika , monkeys , radio , RIP , Russia , science , Soviet , space , video
Speaking with the Sensei
Miss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival? That’s okay. Deb Aoki has a really nice long interview between Adrian Tomine and Yoshihiro Tatsumi. And some questions she asked Tatsumi-sensei herself. Continue reading
"Speaking with the Sensei"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 2000s , Adrian Tomine , Canada , comics , comics history , conventions and festivals , gekiga , interviews , manga , TCAF , Toronto , Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Clean, White and Saved
“Wonderfully retro and absurdly ethnocentric art depicting an idealized American empire on Earth and in Heaven from Bible Readings for the Home (Pacific Press Publishing Associates, 1963),” scans at Lady, That’s My Skull. Continue reading
"Clean, White and Saved"
Tags: 1960s , camp , Christianity , illustration , religion , scans
Slog Scans
Scans of Dave McKean’s artwork for The Slog (written by David Almond) look a little slicker than his work for Neil Gaiman on Punch and Judy and The Sandman. Continue reading
"Slog Scans"
Tags: art , children , Dave McKean , David Almond , Neil Gaiman , picture books , scans , YA
A latter day Windsor McKay?
A latter day Windsor McKay? Maybe not quite, but Peter Blegvad’s strip Leviathan certainly captures the eerie dream-logic quality of Little Nemo in Slumberland, while injecting it with a healthy dose of post-Achewood world that knows “poet is a four-letter word for not a mogul”. Continue reading
"A latter day Windsor McKay?"
Tags: Achewood , Chris Onstad , comics , Leviathan , Little Nemo , online strips , Peter Blegvad , Windsor McKay
Play Some Games!
Check out Crayon Physics. Then check out the rest of the games. Jim sez, “a third are pretty good, a third are real good, and a third are frickin brilliant.” (thanks, Jim!) Continue reading
"Play Some Games!"
Tags: art , crayons , games , indie
Love Letter to the Invisible Woman
A letter from Girl-Wonder’s letter’s column I missed in 2007: “25 years after her transformation from girl to woman, the new
creative team of J. Michael Straczyinski and Mike McKone have advanced
the Invisible Woman yet again with a story moment that can be viewed as
one of the few feminist outcries in comics, a wake-up call to fan boys…. ‘Do I look like I need
protecting, Reed? Do I?’” Continue reading
"Love Letter to the Invisible Woman"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , 2000s , comics , Fantastic Four , feminism , gender , Invisible Woman , J. Michael Straczyinski , John Byrne , Marvel , Mike McKone , sexism , Susan Storm , the ladies
8 Bit Resignation
Farbs resigns in 8-bit style to pursue developing indie games. Watch it here. Continue reading
"8 Bit Resignation"
Tags: developers , Farbs , Funk Monkey , games , indie , industry , Jarrad Woods , Mario
The Cultural Gutter Has Updated Its Profile
Hey everybody, the Gutter’s nearly living in the year 2004. That’s right we’ve gotten a Facebook page. It’s still a little wonky, but it’s there. Continue reading
"The Cultural Gutter Has Updated Its Profile"
Tags: Cultural Gutter , technology
60 Views of Mount Wudan
60 views of Mount Wudan, “famed Taoist sanctuary and cradle of the Wudang school of Chinese martial arts” (via Kung Fu Cinema).
Continue reading
"60 Views of Mount Wudan"
Tags: art , China , kung fu , martial arts , photography , religion , Taoism , Wudan , Wudang , wuxia
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus
Giant animals square off in Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. You might think Minoru Kawasaki is behind it. But you’d be wrong—Deborah “Debbie” Gibson’s behind it all. (Thanks, Steven!)
Continue reading
"Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus"
Tags: animals , California , cephalopods , Deborah Gibson , giant animals , kaiju , Lorenzo Lamas , Los Angeles , megalodon , Minoru Kawasaki , monsters , movies , sharks , trailers , underwater , versus , video
TCAF 2009
Miss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year? That’s okay, Vepo Studios made a video. And while you’re there, check out the profiles of artists like Evan Munday. Continue reading
"TCAF 2009"
Tags: Bryan Lee O'Malley , Canada , comics , conventions and festivals , Cory Doctorow , Evan Munday , James Turner , Jillian Tamaki , libraries , Mariko Tamaki , Seth , TCAF , Toronto , video , Yoshihiro Tatsumi
So Many Fukasaku Kinji Soundtracks!
Don’t have enough soundtracks by Japanese composers? Wild Grounds will help you out with “The 5 Japanese Film Composers You Must Know” and a whole section of downloadable soundtracks and excerpts from Yojimbo to Battle Without Honor or Humanity. Continue reading
"So Many Fukasaku Kinji Soundtracks!"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1990s , 2000s , action , Akira Ifukube , Akira Kurosawa , anime , audio , gangsters , guns , Hayao Miyazaki , Japan , Joe Hisaishi , Kinji Fukasaku , martial arts , Masaru Sato , music , ninjas , samurai , Sonny Chiba , soundtracks , Takeshi Kitano , Toru Takemitsu , Toshiaki Tsushima , Yakuza
New Zelazny Book
Deceased author Roger Zelazny has a new book out, reaching us all the way from the year 1971. (via SF Signal) Continue reading
"New Zelazny Book"
Tags: 1970s , art , Brazil , CIA , fantasy , mysteries , noir , publishing , Roger Zelazny , Rome , science fiction , thrillers , Vatican
3 Trailers from Twitch
It’s Twitch round-up time. Supporting martial artists Mike B. and Russell Wong take the lead kneeing and kicking people in the chest in Thanapon Maliwan’s The Sanctuary. Lee Byung-Hun, Kimura Takuya and Josh Hartnett go to Hong Kong and walk the line between the police and organized crime in Tran Anh Hung’s I Come with the Rain. Matsuyama Kenichi show his ninjitsu in Sai Yoichi’s live-action adaptation of Kamui. (What the hell, here’s another trailer for Johnnie To’s Vengeance).
Continue reading
"3 Trailers from Twitch"
Tags: 2000s , action , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , assassins , blood , China , fantasy , France , gangsters , guns , historicals , Hong Kong , Japan , Johnnie To , Johnny Hallyday , Josh Hartnett , Kamui , Ken'ichi Matsuyama , Korea , Lam Suet , law enforcement , Lee Byung-hun , manga , martial arts , Mike B. , movies , muay thai , ninjas , Russell Wong , Shirato Sanpei , Simon Yam , Takuya Kimura , Thailand , Thanapon Maliwon , trailers , Tran Anh Hung , Triads , video , Yoichi Sai
Dick Grayson’s New Threads vs. Critters
Project Rooftop has Dick Grayson as Batman costume designs. Creature Spot has critter designs. Who wins? We all do! (Creature Spot via Super Punch). Continue reading
"Dick Grayson's New Threads vs. Critters"
Tags: aliens , art , Batman , comics , Dick Grayson , geekery , horror , illustration , monsters , movies , science fiction , versus
Game Developers Conference: Golden Gate
Former Gutter Overlord and Games Editor, Jim Munroe, has written a really nice little text adventure set at the 2009 Game Developers Conference. Rock Paper Shotgun calls it an “[o]ddly human little thing which captures quite a bit about the human side of development.” Continue reading
"Game Developers Conference: Golden Gate"
Tags: 2000s , community , conventions and festivals , Cultural Gutter , Game Developers Conference , games , Jim Munroe , realism , reality , text adventure
Ebert Hunts the Snark
Roger Ebert suggests that snarking “has operated
almost as a reflex to smack down behavior that upsets our expectations.” And offers the case study of Joaquin Phoenix’s hip-hop persona/possible Andy Kaufmanesque performance art project. Continue reading
"Ebert Hunts the Snark"
Tags: Andy Kaufman , community , criticism , fandom , hip hop , Joaquin Phoenix , movies , music , Roger Ebert
So Many Fan Films!
The monkeys over at See Monkey round up a whole whack of fan film action including “the greatest fan film of all time,” which “def[ies] all laws of God, man and intellectual property and cramming
vastly different fictive universes — Marvel, DC, Power Rangers, Ninja
Turtles, you name it — into one great big ball of nerd.” Continue reading
"So Many Fan Films!"
Tags: Aquaman , Batman , Blue Beetle , comics , community , Dick Grayson , fandom , geekery , Green Arrow , Green Lantern , Iron Fist , Joker , Joss Whedon , kamen , kung fu , LOTR , Marvel , movies , ninjas , Power Rangers , Robin , superheroes , Superman , tokusatsu , Tolkien , video , Wonder Woman
Gender in the Horror Genre
Watch out, the ladies are doing more than scream—Ax Wound’s a new magazine about “gender in the horror genre.” (Thanks, Rachael!) Continue reading
"Gender in the Horror Genre"
Tags: blood , criticism , feminism , gender , horror , the ladies
Adding Up to 9
Tim Burton + Timur Bekmambetov + Shane Acker = 9. (thanks, boyo!) Continue reading
"Adding Up to 9"
Tags: action , adventure , animation , CG , dystopia , end times , movies , post apocalyptic , puppetry , steam punk , trailers , video
Interview with Gail Simone
“I’m not interested in perfection, and I don’t think the readers are, either.” Gail Simone talks Wonder Woman, Hollywood, feminism and LGBT characters with After Ellen. Continue reading
"Interview with Gail Simone"
Tags: Birds of Prey , comics , feminism , Gail Simone , gender , interviews , LGBT , Secret Six , superheroes , the ladies , Wonder Woman
Kung Fu Singing
Learn Kung Fu the Connie Chan way, covertly in a seemingly harmless rendition of the solfège classic “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music. Translation just below the player. Continue reading
"Kung Fu Singing"
Tags: 1960s , action , Cantopop , China , Connie Chan Po-Chu , Hong Kong , Jane Bond , kung fu , movies , music , musicals , the ladies , The Sound of Music , video
Bohemian Computers
Old computer parts play a remarkably affecting “Bohemian Rhapsody.” You can even watch them do it. And why not click through to old computer parts playing Radiohead’s “Nude.” Continue reading
"Bohemian Computers"
Tags: audio , computers , Freddie Mercury , geekery , music , Queen , technology , video
Soundtracks for Your Awesomeness
Let J.G. Thirlwell’s Venture Bros. soundtrack bore into your skull until your every mundane mouse tap is explosions, necromancy and two-way wrist radios. Make your life more brutal than you’ve ever imagined with Dethklok. Continue reading
"Soundtracks for Your Awesomeness"
Tags: Adult Swim , animation , audio , Brendon Small , Dethklok , J.G. Thirlwell , jazz , Metal , Metalocalypse , music , soundtracks , Venture Bros.
Floral Stereoradiographs
The floral stereoradiographs of Albert G. Richards in non-stereo-optical but still gorgeous form. (Thanks Flusty!) Continue reading
"Floral Stereoradiographs"
Tags: 3D , art , photography , plants , radiology , science
What’s Johnnie To Up To?
You know how Johnnie To said he was taking a break after releasing Sparrow? He didn’t. He’s got two films coming up. I’m nervous about Vengeance starring French actor/singer Johnny Hallyday. I’m excited about Death of a Hostage because of Lau Ching-Wan. (And, yes, that looks like the Oldboy poster which brings another horror to mind. Get it out with this Mad Detective trailer). Continue reading
"What's Johnnie To Up To?"
Tags: action , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , assassins , China , crime , France , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , Johnny Hallyday , Lam Suet , Lau Ching-Wan , movies , Simon Yam , thrillers , trailers , Triads , video
Surveillance Analysis #2: Frank
Follow up to the surveillance footage and the Faithful Skeptic Show talks Roberta Sparrow and reveals Frank. (Previous business here). Continue reading
"Surveillance Analysis #2: Frank"
Tags: advertizing , Donnie Darko , Fewdio , horror , multiverse , paranormality , physics , rabbits , science , science fiction , SDarko , time travel , video
Herbie Popnecker, Reviewed
At Chris’ Invincible Super-Blog, Chris attempts to review the one where Dracula throws Herbie Popnecker into a pizza oven. Continue reading
"Herbie Popnecker, Reviewed"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , comedy , comics , Dracula , food , Herbie , parody , satire , scans , Silver Age , surrealism , vampires
Art is Inside
Look at the beauty inside toys, food and electronics with the Radiology Art Project. This movie of a scanned matrioshka doll is lovely. You can submit images and object, too. (via Articulate) Continue reading
"Art is Inside"
Tags: art , biology , CT-scans , food , imaging , medicals , photography , radiology , science , technology , toys , video
Poetry for the Videogame Age
Rock Paper Shotgun writes about the Locked Door:
“Locked door, I hate you.
“I hate the way you are resistant to knives, to guns, to sledge-hammers,
to rocket-propelled grenades, to weapons that rewrite the very laws of
physics, to dark unearthly magic, to punches that can knock a man’s
head clean off.”
Continue reading
"Poetry for the Videogame Age"
RIP, JG Ballard
Two Ballard obituaries. One and an excerpt from two: “If there is a ÂBallardian presence in the cinema, it is Lee Harvey Oswald, sitting in a darkened Dallas movie theatre in 1963, watching the Audie Murphy picture War Is Hell, waiting for the cops to pick him up.”
Continue reading
"RIP, JG Ballard"
Tags: biography , China , David Cronenberg , dystopia , historicals , J.G. Ballard , Japan , movies , RIP , science fiction , Stephen Spielberg , UK
Get Your Paranormality On
Bigfoot and Nessie too hyped for you? Tired of el Chupacabra? Looking
for some new footage to analyze, filter and go through frame by frame?
Dogman footage (the Gable film) is digitally-enhanced and downloadable via Creative Commons. (Here’s two trailers for a special DVD set). Continue reading
"Get Your Paranormality On"
Tags: animals , bigfoot , chupacabra , community , cryptozoology , dogman , loch ness monster , monsters , paranormality , science , trailers , video
Video Response to Surveillance
Video response to Surveillance 070990, “The Faithful Skeptic Show.” (It’s a follow up to this). Continue reading
"Video Response to Surveillance"
Tags: Donnie Darko , Fewdio , movies , multiverse , paranormality , physics , science , science fiction , SDarko , time travel , video
Who Wants to Play Velociraptor Offroad Safari?
Who wants to play Velociraptor Offroad Safari or Minotaur China Shop or Blush, where players are neon attack squids? I do. Gamasutra interviews indie game designers, Flashbang. (via Make It Big) Continue reading
"Who Wants to Play Velociraptor Offroad Safari?"
Tags: cars , cephalopods , designers , dinosaurs , Flashbang , games , industry , interviews , Matthew Wegner , minotaur , monsters , squids , Steve Swink , underwater
Soap Pwnage
Play NES in your tub safe and sound—or pretend to play Super Mario with a soap controller that looks amazingly like the real thing. (And check out Fight Club soap with no rich ladies’ fat in it; then again, rich ladies might still be vegan…) Continue reading
"Soap Pwnage"
Tags: action , blood , craftiness , fandom , Fight Club , games , geekery , Mario , movies , nintendo , retro games
Dallas Episode IV: A New Hope
Ever wonder what Star Wars would look like as Dallas or Airwolf? Probably not, but it’s still worth seeing. (via Adult Swim) Continue reading
"Dallas Episode IV: A New Hope"
Tags: action , adventure , Airwolf , Dallas , memes , military , movies , opening credits , science fiction , soap opera , space opera , Star Wars , tv , video
Trapped in a World He Never Made!
Slate’s Keith Phipps sat through Howard the Duck and lived to be sad about it. “Howard the Duck, the movie, is as bad as you’ve heard.
Actually, it’s worse. But its failings as a film have overshadowed the
frequently brilliant 1970s comic book that inspired it.” Continue reading
"Trapped in a World He Never Made!"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , animals , Cleveland , comics , comics history , ducks , Gene Colan , George Lucas , Gloria Katz , Howard the Duck , Marvel , Midwest , movies , Ohio , Steve Gerber , strips , Willard Hyuck
Mohammed Hussain’s Dirty Harry
“Where Hollywood’s films were full of urban grit and cinema verité
style, Bollywood’s were full of blinding color and outlandish levels of
artifice. This did not, however, deter Indian B movie king Mohammed
Hussain from forging ahead with a remake of Don Segal’s Dirty Harry — one in which he attempted to meld those two very different sensibilities[.]” More at Teleport City. (via 4DK) Continue reading
"Mohammed Hussain's Dirty Harry"
Tags: 1970s , adaptation , Bollywood , Clint Eastwood , Dirty Harry , Don Siegel , India , law enforcement , Mohammed Hussain , movies , musicals , procedural
Where the Wild Things Are
Filmopia sights the trailer for Spike Jonze’ Where The Wild Things Are. Continue reading
"Where the Wild Things Are"
Tags: adaptation , adventure , animation , children , Dave Eggars , Maurice Sendak , monsters , movies , puppetry , Spike Jonze , suitmation , trailers , video , YA
Bodice-ripping… and lacing!
An archaeologist has solved the mystery of the bodice-ripper. No, it’s not a romance novel. He found a tool for lacing ladies’ bodices. Even better, this one’s at a Viking grave site. Bodice-ripping jokes abound at least two sites! (via Read for Pleasure) Continue reading
"Bodice-ripping... and lacing!"
Tags: archaeology , romance , science , Viking
Old Timey Cantonese Claymation
The excellent Soft Film blog has some nice 1920s claymation by motion picture powerhouse, Joseph Sunn Jue. Continue reading
"Old Timey Cantonese Claymation"
Tags: 1920s , animation , China , claymation , film history , Harryhausen , Hong Kong , Joseph Sunn Jue , movies , stop-motion
“Are there any comics about ponies?”
Sure, it’s from 2007, but Girl-Wonder.org had my favorite April Fool’s ever.
Continue reading
""Are there any comics about ponies?""
Tags: body image , comics , feminism , gender , heterosexism , parody , Robin , satire , sexism , superheroes , the ladies
5 Blogs, 1 Production Company
The B-Masters Cabal unites to ponder the films of foremost B-movie purveyor, American International Pictures. 5 blogs look at Roger Corman, misleading advertizing, crappy monsters and what finally took AIP down. Continue reading
"5 Blogs, 1 Production Company"
Tags: aliens , American International Pictures , blaxploitation , camp , disappointment , exploitation , Fred Williamson , gangsters , invasion , Italy , mad science , monsters , movies , New York City , Roger Corman , sexploitation , space , space opera , special effects , supervillainy , Venus , Vincent Price
Old Timey Interactive Fiction
The Illuminated Lantern has tentacled interactive fiction with the H.P. Lovecraft Commonplace Book project and whiskered diamond thievery in “1893: A World’s Fair Mystery.” (via 4DK)
Continue reading
"Old Timey Interactive Fiction"
Tags: 1890s , adaptation , collaboration , games , horror , interactivity , Lovecraft , madness , mysteries , text adventure , Victorian
Coloring Book, Blood Red
“[W]hat if there was a way to get the youth of today in on all the polygonal war recreations that modern gaming has been nice enough to bring us, but without getting their precious little mitts all bloody?” That would be the Call of Duty Activity Book For Kids. (via Adult Swim)
Continue reading
"Coloring Book, Blood Red"
Tags: blood , Call of Duty , children , coloring books , edutainment , games , illustration , military , picture books , satire , war , YA
The Way of the Smock
We gave you the trailer. Now fully immerse yourself in short 4 episode documentary of John Paul Fiorentino and Evan Munday’s nightmarishly mundane world of creativity” “Way of The Smock: The Making of Stripmalling.” One. Two. Three. Four. Continue reading
"The Way of the Smock"
Tags: Canada , documentaries , Evan Munday , illustration , John Paul Fiorentino , movies , publishing , Toronto , video , Walmart , Whitby , writing
Saving the Fox
The CBC interviews former Gutter Movie Editor Robin Bougie about Vancouver’s famous and endangered grindhouse palace, The Fox. (He wrote an article about the Fox and the Venus—read it here). Continue reading
"Saving the Fox"
Tags: audio , Canada , CBC , cinema history , Cultural Gutter , grindhouse , interviews , movies , porn , radio , Robin Bougie , theaters , Vancouver
The Complete Tree of Contempt
I’ve always wondered how the Geek Hierarchy shakes out, precisely. Follow it all the way to the bottom, one step at a time, for the full effect.
Continue reading
"The Complete Tree of Contempt"
Tags: anime , dice , fandom , Furries , games , geekery , Japan , Klingon , LARP , RPGs , science fiction , sex , Star Trek , tv
Where Does the Art Start?
It’s hard to know where the art starts and ends in this story about the in-fighting in the wrestling cabaret stylings of Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling. “It’s a bunch of grown men and women in costumes pretending to be
professional wrestlers. It is
to wrestling as ‘West Side Story’ is to actual gang relations.” Who knows what Kaiju Big Battel’s Los Plantanos think of SSP’s The Banana. Continue reading
"Where Does the Art Start?"
Tags: Boston , kaiju , parody , Seattle , sports , versus , wrestling
Totally Free Stories
“Totally Free Stories by Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale.” (In case, Bubba Ho-Tep, The Drive-In and Incident On and Off A Mountain Road weren’t enough). Continue reading
"Totally Free Stories"
Tags: Bruce Campbell , Elvis , horror , JFK , Joe Lansdale , Masters of Horror , movies , mummies , mysteries , Ossie Davis , presidents , short stories , slasher , theaters , tv
Incredible Combinations
A wrestler-fairy? A nerd-werewolf? A caveman-pirate? All these and more in Creebobby’s second Archetype Times Table. Continue reading
"Incredible Combinations"
Tags: aristocracy , comics , creebobby , faeries , fantasy , geekery , lucha libre , math , monsters , piracy , pre-historicals , sports , underwater , unicorns , webcomics , werewolves , wrestling
Just Under 9 Minutes of Wong Fei-Hung
Wong Fei-Hung’s been on my mind lately. Luckily, Kung Fu Cinema has a nice video (scroll down) of Wong Fei-Hung in the movies from Kwan Tak-Hing to Gordon Liu, Jet Li as well as Jackie Chan and actress Angie Tsang Tze-Man’s portrayals of young Wong Fei-Hung. There’s also a detailed companion article tracing the historical and fictional Wong Fei-Hung through newspaper pulps, radio, tv and film. Continue reading
"Just Under 9 Minutes of Wong Fei-Hung"
Tags: 1800s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , action , Bolo Yeung , China , Chiu Man-Chuk , Chu Yu-Chai , crossdressing , doctors , film history , Gordon Liu , historicals , Ho Meng-Hua , Hong Kong , Jackie Chan , Jet Li , kung fu , Kwan Tak-Hing , Lau Kar-Leung , LGBT , martial arts , movies , Nineteenth Century , pulp , Qing , radio , Sammo Hung , the ladies , Tsang Tze-Man , Tsui Hark , tv , Victorian , video , Wong Fei-Hung , Wong Jing , Wu Pang , Yuen Woo-Ping
The Daily Grind, Videogame Edition
“It’s common practice for one of those guys, in a single day, to
chainsaw his way out of the belly of a giant worm, take a detour
through a zombie shantytown, euthanise his long-lost wife, and spend
hours in a sewer trawling through blood and waste, with monsters
leaping up at his face and depositing their brain matter on his boots.”
Hit Self-Destruct again, on what life’s like for videogame heroes. Continue reading
"The Daily Grind, Videogame Edition"
Tags: games , mundanity , realism , reality , survival horror
Romantic Zoetrope
The couples on category romance covers in motion. Laura’s Vivanco has more including a comparison to the morphing women in “Women In Art” so make sure to scroll down. (via Teach Me tonight) Continue reading
"Romantic Zoetrope"
Tags: art , covers , Robert Arnold , romance , the ladies , video
Ricky Gervais vs. Elmo
At the low-key yet awesome See Monkey blog, Marc Hirsh writes about his fear that any moment Ricky Gervais could descend into schtick, becoming a painful parody of himself. But more importantly, he’s got a video of those Ricky Gervais/Elmo interview outtakes with good quality sound. Continue reading
"Ricky Gervais vs. Elmo"
Tags: acting , Elmo , fear , industry , interviews , muppets , puppetry , Ricky Gervais , Sesame Street , tv , versus , video
So Awful It Moves Past Parody
Vaniel found some awful description in a fantasy novel: “Really, all I could think was, ‘I have got to scan this tomorrow
because no one will believe how awful it is.” It’s so awful it’s gone
back around to being good again—but for all the wrong reasons.’ It’s astonishingly awful. It should win an award. There’s a man named Spikenard. Make sure to check out the fan art and dramatic reading provided. (via Smart Bitches) Continue reading
"So Awful It Moves Past Parody"
Tags: comedy , faeries , fandom , fantasy , fear and loathing , geekery , memes , parody , romance , Ron Miller , self-parody , sex , writing
Rules of Engagement
At Hit Self-Destruct, Duncan writes about Far Cry 2, Call of Duty 4, rules of engagement and civilian deaths: “Where there are no civilians, there are no mistakes, there’s no
collateral damage and it starts to feel safe. It changes from war into
a murder mystery vacation. Maybe there isn’t a morally unimpeachable
way to make a entertaining game about atrocities, but I’d feel better
if those games didn’t try and make me feel so good.”
Continue reading
"Rules of Engagement"
Tags: Africa , blood , Call of Duty , Far Cry , games , guns , Iraq War , mercenaries , Middle East , military , shooters
Soft Ordinance
A fleece, wool and felt AK-47, Uzi pistol or M1A1 bazooka? It’s Soft Corps’ artsy-craftsy arsenal.(thanks, Steve!)
Continue reading
"Soft Ordinance"
Tags: art , blood , Canada , craftiness , guns , military , Toronto
Saturday Morning Watchmen
Get out your favorite milk-dying sugar saturated cereal, it’s “Saturday Morning Watchmen!” Dr.Manhattan turns into a car. That’s tight. Continue reading
"Saturday Morning Watchmen"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , Alan Moore , animation , comedy , comics , satire , tv , video , Watchmen
It’s like Math but more Fun
What is Robot x Ninja? Or, Platypus x Lincoln? Creebobby’s Comics Archetype Times Table has the answers. It’s like math, but more fun. (thanks, James!) Continue reading
"It's like Math but more Fun"
Tags: Abraham Lincoln , aliens , animals , astronauts , comics , creebobby , dinosaurs , geekery , math , monsters , ninjas , robots , space , space opera , vampires , webcomics , zombies
Stick to the Man in his Regions!
The Man got you down? Too focused on his “Regions?” Won’t let you watch US content outside the US? Saving your searches? Well, I’m not recommending anything. Just saying Hotspot Shield might’ve done some good and it might help you watch some fine programming here and here. And don’t forget here. Continue reading
"Stick to the Man in his Regions!"
Tags: Adult Swim , animals , animation , Blood Red Earth , Brendon Small , Burrowers , cheats , demons , hacking , Hinduism , horror , India , J.T. Petty , Lakota , Metalocalypse , monsters , movies , music , musicals , Native Americans , Nina Paley , Ramayana , religion , romance , technology , tv , Venture Bros. , Weird Westerns , Westerns
Wrangling Watchmen
Read everything you wanted to about the Watchmen movie? Let us wrangle you a little more. Marc Hirsch argues for the comic as its own form and Andrew O’Hehir is shocked to be writing that it “way out-darks The Dark Knight and immediately leaps near the top of the list of apocalyptic pop-culture operas.” Meanwhile, here’s an interview with Alan Moore not talking about Watchmen. Continue reading
"Wrangling Watchmen"
Tags: adaptation , Alan Moore , alternate history , collaboration , comics , Dave Gibbons , dystopia , interviews , League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , movies , nuclear annihilation , Richard Nixon , superheroes , Watchmen
The Office Romance
Does shipping undermine romance? “The shipper-oriented vision of romance, in which it’s all nothing-nothing-nothing-BOOM! KISSING! has a tendency to devalue actually being happy in favor of being constantly stimulated by drama.” Linda Talks more about love, “Jam” and The Office (US) here. Continue reading
"The Office Romance"
Tags: comedy , fandom , romance , sitcoms , The Office , tv
Bejeweled Prison of the Mind
Infinite Lives’ Darren Zenko is given to understand that “the crack-like qualities of the Bejeweled experience were no accident,
but rather the result of the kind of nefarious mind-control alchemy
normally attributed in science-fiction thrillers to shadowy
organizations bent on world domination.” Continue reading
"Bejeweled Prison of the Mind"
Tags: Bejeweled , capitalism , casual gaming , conspiracies , design , designers , games
Hero Factory
Yes, the Hero Factory is holding out for a hero in more than midi form. Choose your outfits. Female heroes have more hair options. Male heroes have more noses. Just like creating a character in a videogame, but without the pesky missions. (Thanks, ‘Col!)
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"Hero Factory"
Tags: comics , games , geekery , RPGs , superheroes
“It’s a new world, Arcane.”
Andrew O’Hehir tricks us all by writing about Alan Moore and Swamp Thing instead of movies at Salon: “[T]wo things are clear: Moore knows what comics readers want and intends
to give it to them, and whether or not they want something more
complicated, more tragic and more adult (I know it’s a loaded word),
he’s going to give them that, too.” Continue reading
""It's a new world, Arcane.""
Tags: 1980s , Alan Moore , anarchism , comics , comics history , environmentalism , horror , swamp monsters , Swamp Thing
Blood Red Earth at FEARnet
Feel all the horror of tainted meat as FEARnet streams J.T. Petty’s Blood Red Earth, the Lakota-language prequel to The Burrowers. Continue reading
"Blood Red Earth at FEARnet"
Tags: animals , Blood Red Earth , Burrowers , historicals , horror , J.T. Petty , Lakota , monsters , movies , Native Americans , sequels , video , Weird Westerns , Westerns
Sita, Rama, Annette Hanshaw
Sita Sings the Blues is a multilayered Ramayana, an amazing display of animation prowess and Sita sings in the voice of 1920s jazz singer Annette Hanshaw. It’s neater than I make it sound. Make some time. Continue reading
"Sita, Rama, Annette Hanshaw"
Tags: 1920s , animation , Annette Hanshaw , Bangalore , epics , feminism , gender , Hinduism , India , jazz , music , New York , Nina Paley , Ramayana , religion , romance , San Francisco , the ladies , video
“Wong Fei-Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance”
Wong Fei-Hung defeats three bullies with a rod (not a gat), deals with the Lantern Festival Disturbance and wins a victory at the Sipai Lou in these 1950s film posters.
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""Wong Fei-Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance""
Tags: 1950s , China , Hong Kong , Kenneth Tsang Kong , kung fu , Kwan Tak-Hing , Lau Cham , martial arts , posters , Shih Kien , Wong Fei-Hung
“You Are My Drawing Monkey”
The Way of the Smock trailer: how illustrated books are made. At least by John Paul Fiorentino and Evan Munday. It seems like a kinda toxic work environment. Continue reading
""You Are My Drawing Monkey""
Tags: Canada , collaboration , Evan Munday , illustration , John Paul Fiorentino , parody , publishing , Toronto , trailers , video , writing
A Dance With Fans
George R. R. Martin has a few things he wants to get off his chest. Like he’s not lying about A Dance With Dragons completion dates. So deal with it. (via Super Punch) Continue reading
"A Dance With Fans"
Tags: dragons , fandom , fantasy , George R. R. Martin , sequels , writing
Bond, Jane Bond
Back in the day, HK studios assumed films with male leads couldn’t cut it in the theaters. So during the 1960s spy era, Hong Kong had Jane Bond films featuring masked spies in catsuits way before Maggie Cheung in Irma Vep. TarsTarkas gathers the resources all in one place, all you have to do is slip in and take’em. Continue reading
"Bond, Jane Bond"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , 1990s , action , China , Chor Yuen , Connie Chan Po-Chu , film history , film making , gender , guns , heists , Hong Kong , Jane Bond , Josephine Siao Fong-Fong , Maggie Cheung , movies , posters , spies , stealth , the ladies , thieves , thrillers , video
See the Fury!
Black and white wuxia? Animated chi? See the devastating fury of Buddha’s Palm! Continue reading
"See the Fury!"
Tags: 1960s , animation , China , Hong Kong , kung fu , Kwan Hoi-San , Lam Fung , Ling Yun , martial arts , movies , special effects , Tso Tat-Wah , video , wuxia , Yu So-Chou
Aerial City 008: Operation Spring
1960s Japanese science fiction Supermarionation. Scary or supercool? (Scroll down for a complete episode of Aerial City 008).
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"Aerial City 008: Operation Spring"
Tags: 1960s , disaster , Japan , Kinosuke Takeda , puppetry , science fiction , special effects , Supermarionation , tokusatsu , tv , video
“Everyone Must Be Squished!”
If you look at these pictures of the death trap in Main Balwaan, you’ll just wonder why you don’t have one already. No pesky heros, just peace and quiet. And guys picking parts out of your death trap. So maybe you shouldn’t look if you think it might break your heart… Continue reading
""Everyone Must Be Squished!""
Tags: Bollywood , India , Masala Death Trap! , movies , screenshots , supervillainy
Commentary Worth Having
Linda Holmes writes about commentary worth listening to in a sort of meta-review of This American Life’s second season DVD set. Continue reading
"Commentary Worth Having"
Tags: Chris Ware , commentary , film making , Ira Glass , Johnny Depp , marriage , radio , This American Life , trailers , tv , video
The Man’s Got His Tricks
“Since this isn’t the story of someone finding a hidden magical world that the squares don’t know about, it’s the one about people in a story sitting around telling stories.” Chris has some things to say about Neil Gaiman in, “This Week in Ink.” Continue reading
"The Man's Got His Tricks"
Tags: Batman , comics , criticism , metafiction , Neil Gaiman , superheroes
“You Complete Me”
Five Un-Romances. Linda Holmes explains why. Continue reading
""You Complete Me""
Tags: affairs , Barbra Streisand , Ben Stiller , Ethan Hawke , Jeff Bridges , lists , marriage , movies , Reese Witherspoon , romance , Tom Cruise , video , Winona Ryder
Starting a Film Festival?
“We once programmed a retrospective of old kung fu films at a local
theater and our prints looked like a collection of ex-convicts who had
been trained to sneak into occupied Europe and assassinate Hitler:
scarred, battered, and problematic.” Grady Hendrix’s advice isn’t past its expiry date.
Continue reading
"Starting a Film Festival?"
Tags: community , conventions and festivals , fandom , Grady Hendrix , movies , NYAFF
The Last Thakur
It’s a good time to like Westerns, especially Asian Westerns, with good-looking movies like, The Last Thakur. Continue reading
"The Last Thakur"
Tags: action , Bangladesh , contemporaries , guns , movies , Sadik Ahmed , South Asia , trailers , UK , video , Westerns
Good Santo, Bad Santo, No Santo at all
Curious about lucha movies but don’t know where to start? Todd from Die, Danger, Die, Die, Kill! is here to help out with good movies starring Santo (here and here), good movies with no Santo and some Santo movies “likely to make you want to tear out your own brain and scrub it with industrial cleaning solvents.” Continue reading
"Good Santo, Bad Santo, No Santo at all"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , angry red planet , Blue Demon , circus , doctors , Dracula , Frankenstein , horror , invasion , John Carradine , lists , lucha libre , mad science , Mexico , Mil Mascaras , monsters , movies , mummies , Nazis , robots , Santo , shapeshifters , space , spies , the ladies , undead , vampires , werewolves , wrestling
Where X-Men Have Gone Before
Wolverine snikkts at Spock! Gladiator punches the Enterprise! Star Trek/X-men is crazy! Continue reading
"Where X-Men Have Gone Before"
Tags: comics , crossovers , Marvel , mutants , scans , science fiction , space , spaceships , Spock , Star Trek , versus , Wolverine , X-Men
Defending Dollhouse
A woman with her personality wiped and a new one programmed in every week? Joss Whedon talks about misogyny, identity and Dollhouse. Continue reading
"Defending Dollhouse"
Tags: audio , Eliza Dushku , feminism , gender , identity , interviews , Joss Whedon , radio , science fiction , sex , sex work , sexism , tv
Fighting Words
“Struck by the resonances between professional wrestling and comics” at Occasional Superheroine. Mixed Martial Arts vs. “the sweet science of bruising” at Salon. Continue reading
"Fighting Words"
Tags: blood , boxing , capitalism , comics , industry , martial arts , Mickey Rourke , MMA , movies , publishing , sports , tv , wrestling
The Matrix Runs on Windows
“Take the red pill. Get the blue screen.” Continue reading
"The Matrix Runs on Windows"
Tags: comedy , cyberpunk , cyborgs , Keeanu Reeves , Matrix , movies , parody , science fiction , technology , video , Wachowski Bros.
Empire Market Strikes Back
Empire Market’s laser checkout system is fully operational in Chad Vader: Dayshift Manager season 2. Continue reading
"Empire Market Strikes Back"
Tags: Aaron Yonda , Blame Society Productions , Chad Vader , comedy , indie , lo fi , Madison , Matt Sloan , movies , parody , science fiction , Star Wars , video , Wisconsin
Kaiju Shakedown Goes Down Again
Like King Ghidorah, Kaiju Shakedown has succumbed to market forces. Again. Hopefully like King Ghidorah, Kaiju Shakedown will rise again. Kaiju Shakedown’s writer, Grady Hendrix, is taking some time to figure out how. Continue reading
"Kaiju Shakedown Goes Down Again"
Tags: Bollywood , capitalism , China , community , criticism , disappointment , fandom , film making , Grady Hendrix , Hong Kong , India , Indonesia , Japan , kaiju , Kaiju Shakedown , King Ghidorah , movies , North Korea , Philippines , South Korea , Thailand
1910 Is Now
Bully! 1910 is Now with preview pages from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen—Century: 1910. Continue reading
"1910 Is Now"
Tags: 1910s , adventure , Alan Moore , angry red planet , comics , horror , Kevin O'Neill , League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , London , pulp , scans , science fiction , secret societies , Sherlock Holmes , spies , the moon , thieves , UK , vampires
Blood Red Earth
Get ready to squirm—there’s a prequel to The Burrowers, the sure-to-be-squicky, Lakota-language Blood Red Earth. Continue reading
"Blood Red Earth"
Tags: animals , Blood Red Earth , Burrowers , historicals , horror , J.T. Petty , Lakota , monsters , movies , Native Americans , sequels , Weird Westerns , Westerns
Is She Asking For A Challenge?
Yes, Carly Monardo’s Whirling Blender Weekly Challenge: The Avengers + Ashley Wood! Previously, Soul Calibur characters in the style of Bruce Timm, Battle Chasers by Osamu Tezuka and Excalibur as drawn by Gary Baseman.(via Super Punch with props to Stinkoman)
Continue reading
"Is She Asking For A Challenge?"
Tags: art , Ashley Wood , Australia , Avengers , Battle Chasers , Bros. Chaps , Bruce Timm , Carly Monardo , comics , Excalibur , games , Gary Baseman , geekery , Japan , Joe Madureira , manga , Marvel , Osamu Tezuka , replicants , scans , Soul Calibur , superheroes
Obey!
Michael Moorcock lists 10 dystopias everyone should read in The Guardian’s list of 1000 books everyone should read. Continue reading
"Obey!"
Tags: dystopia , lists , Michael Moorcock , science fiction
“The Existential Angst of a Certain Young Mr. Jon Arbuckle”
Garfield minus Garfield. (Thanks, John!) Continue reading
""The Existential Angst of a Certain Young Mr. Jon Arbuckle""
Tags: art , comedy , comics , Existentialism , Garfield , geekery , Jim Davis , scans , strips , webcomics
Bringing Chris Ware Into It
“Chris Ware Can Show Video Games the Path to Manhood.” There’s extensive quotation but there’s also thoughts, and a link to more thoughts, about games pubescing. Maybe when they’re all grown up, they’ll realize some of them aren’t men. (via Fantagraphics) Continue reading
"Bringing Chris Ware Into It"
Tags: art , biography , Chris Ware , designers , developers , games , gender , Queerness
Yatterman!
Takashi Miike follows up his smart and fancy family films Great Yokai War and Zebraman with Yatterman. Looks promising—there’s a giant dog robot and a lot of leather. (What the hell, trailers for GYW and Zebraman, too). Continue reading
"Yatterman!"
Tags: adventure , aliens , anime , Chiaki Kuriyama , environmentalism , family , fantasy , giant robots , Hiroshi Aramata , invasion , Japan , kaiju , kamen , Kyoko Fukada , monsters , movies , paranormality , robots , science fiction , Sho Aikawa , space , special little boys , superheroes , supervillainy , Takashi Miike , Tatsuo Yoshida , tokusatsu , trailers , video , YA , yokai
Before Bruce’s Fists of Fury, There Was Ip Man
Donnie Yen plays Wing Chun master—and Bruce Lee’s sifu—Ip Man in the eponymous movie. Asses are kicked, regretfully. But not so regretfully there won’t be a sequel where more asses are kicked in Hong Kong. Wong Kar-Wai’s Grandmaster Ip Man might show up, well, sometime. You can bet it’ll be pretty, though. Continue reading
"Before Bruce's Fists of Fury, There Was Ip Man"
Tags: 1930s , action , China , Donnie Yen , Hong Kong , invasion , Japan , kung fu , Lam Ka-Tung , martial arts , movies , Raymond Wong , Sammo Hung , Simon Yam , Sino-Japanese War , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , trailers , video , war , Wilson Yip , Wong Kar-Wai , WWII
Fold Yourself a Crustacean
Recreate crustaceans, cephalopods and even angler fish with pdf origami patterns. If you don’t read Japanese, just click on the critter and get going.(Thanks again, Steven!)
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"Fold Yourself a Crustacean"
Tags: animals , art , craftiness , Japan , underwater
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello
Airships, mysterious islands, satanic scientists, vampiric creatures, tragedy. All in silhouette in The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello. (Thanks, Steven!)
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"The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello"
Tags: adventure , animation , Anthony Lucas , Australia , epistolary , fish , geography , horror , hospitals , Jules Verne , mad science , madness , military , monsters , nurses , pulp , science fiction , sickness , steam punk , Victoria , Victorian , video
What’d I miss?
And further to the subject of analyses of opening credits sequences, The Art of the Title is a repository of, well, just that. Continue reading
"What'd I miss?"
Tags: art , film history , film making , movies , tv
By hook or by crook
We want information! Further to the remembrance of Patrick McGoohan, here’s a 12-minute and 19-second analysis of The Prisoner’s one-minute, 47-second opening credits sequence. Be seeing you. Continue reading
"By hook or by crook"
Tags: 1960s , action , biography , Cold War , London , Number Six , opening credits , Patrick McGoohan , Portmeirion , RIP , six of one , spies , The Prisoner , tv , UK , video , Wales
Galleries of Destruction and Awesomeness
“Giant monsters attack Flickr!” and Kung Fu Fridays is there to capture it with links anatomical drawings of kaiju and links to other galleries of monsters, Irwin Allen, architecture, 60s pop styles and all kinds of goodness. Continue reading
"Galleries of Destruction and Awesomeness"
Tags: 1960s , architecture , art , comics , fantasy , Gamera , Godzilla , Irwin Allen , kaiju , monsters , Mothra , movies , science , science fiction , space , spies , time travel , toys , tv
Ricardo Montalbán, RIP
Ricardo Montalbán has died. Gutter fans probably remember best his roles in Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Fantasy Island and Spy Kids, but Montalbán had a long career and also worked hard to combat stereotypical depictions of Latinos. Linda Holmes writes about Montalbán trapped on Fantasy Island in obituaries. In a film geek version of a 21 gun salute, Turner Classic Movies will honor Ricardo Montalbán with a movie marathon. Continue reading
"Ricardo Montalbán, RIP"
Tags: advertizing , animals , apes , California , dystopia , fantasy , Fantasy Island , historicals , Khan Noonien Singh , Latinos , Los Angeles , Mexico , Mexico City , movies , Mr. Roarke , musicals , Planet of the Apes , Ricardo Montalban , RIP , romance , science fiction , space , spaceships , spies , Star Trek , tv , Westerns
Patrick McGoohan is a Free Man
Patrick McGoohan has died. He’s been in movies from Ice Station Zebra to Scanners to Braveheart. He turned down a crazy number of roles: The Saint, James Bond, Gandalf and Dumbledore. He directed and starred in some smart tv including Columbo. Most people will remember his dreamy auteur tv show, The Prisoner, a show Glenn Kenny calls in his obituary, “one of the most reliably mind-bending television series ever created.” Obituaries here and here. Continue reading
"Patrick McGoohan is a Free Man"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , action , biography , Cold War , Columbo , David Cronenberg , detectives , Harry Potter , historicals , Ireland , law enforcement , Los Angeles , LOTR , movies , Patrick McGoohan , Peter Falk , police , psychedelia , RIP , spies , The Prisoner , Tolkien , UK
Real Life Superheroes
Usually, when the media talks about Real Life Superheros they mean firefighters or EMTs or police. NPR’s Monkey See blog means something more awesome: costumed superheroes, featuring the World Superhero Registry. If only they’d included the superheroes’ one costumed mad scientist, Professor Widget. Continue reading
"Real Life Superheroes"
Tags: action , California , Canada , environmentalism , Indiana , Indianapolis , Italy , mad science , madness , Mexico , Michigan , Midwest , Ohio , reality , superheroes , supervillainy , UK , world domination
Sounds in Three Dimensions
The sound of electricity, the sound of water. Artist Atsushi Fukunaga creates sculptures with giongo or manga’s onomatopoeic sound effects. ( via One Inch Punch and thanks, Mr. Dave!) Continue reading
"Sounds in Three Dimensions"
Tags: 3D , art , Asushi Fukunaga , comics , Japan , manga , sculpture , sound effects
Tales from Ursula
Did you know Ursula Le Guin worked on an Earthsea screenplay with Peeping Tom and Black Narcissus’ Michael Powell? I didn’t. There’s more in her Vice Magazine interview. (via Kaiju Shakedown) Continue reading
"Tales from Ursula"
Tags: Aeneid , anthropology , Classical World , disappointment , Earthsea , fantasy , fear and loathing , feminism , gender , Greece , interviews , LGBT , Michael Powell , movies , Queerness , race , Rome , science , science fiction , the ladies , tv , Ursula K. Le Guin , writing
An Ultima Gift
Origin Museum director, Joe Garrity, writes the Artful Gamer about building Richard “Lord British” Garriott an Ultima reagent box: “The Reagent Box ended up to be a 2-year effort in finding the
individual reagents and binding each to a velvet base with brass wire,
presenting them with a 19th-century-scientific look.”
Continue reading
"An Ultima Gift"
Tags: art , craftiness , designers , fandom , games , geekery , Lord British , MMOs , Origin Systems , RPGs , Ultima
Fun with Kaiju Shakedown
Every day is fun day at Kaiju Shakedown. This time: chibi Watchmen, awesome criterion-type designs for Chinese movies and a trailer for Cat Head Theatre’s upcoming samurai film. Continue reading
"Fun with Kaiju Shakedown"
Tags: action , Alan Moore , Andrew Lau , animals , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , art , cats , China , Chiu Man-Chuk , comics , Dave Gibbons , design , detectives , Donnie Yen , dystopia , fandom , fantasy , gangsters , geekery , guns , Hong Kong , Jackie Chan , Jet Li , Johnnie To , Lau Ching-Wan , martial arts , Michelle Yeoh , movies , murder , mysteries , parody , Ringo Lam , samurai , superheroes , thrillers , Toho , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Tsui Hark , video , Wai Ka-Fai , wuxia , Yuen Woo-Ping , Zhang Yimou , Zhao Wen-Zhou
The First Talkie In Toronto
“No doubt the audience in the plush seats of the Tivoli was enthralled.
For the first time in a feature film, they could hear the creaking of
the stairs, the ghostly wind and the voices of the characters. Even the
credits were spoken.” Eric Veillette writes about The Terror and talkies in Toronto. Continue reading
"The First Talkie In Toronto"
Tags: 1920s , Canada , cinema history , Edward Everett Horton , horror , May McAvoy , movies , silents , talkies , theaters , Toronto
Lady Bullseye and Lady Snowblood
Richie muses on Lady Snowblood in manga and film and a little on Lady Bullseye: “That a samurai revenge film from thirty years ago manages to be significantly less exploitative than anything around now
speaks volumes. It is, ironically, an excellent twenty first century
samurai movie, which keeps the best parts of the genre while moving
beyond the shitty sexual politics. It just happens to be from 1979.” Continue reading
"Lady Bullseye and Lady Snowblood"
Tags: assassins , blood , comics , feminism , gangsters , gender , Japan , Lady Bullseye , Lady Snowblood , manga , martial arts , Marvel , movies , ninjas , Quentin Tarantino , rape , samurai , sexism , superheroes , the ladies , vengeance , Yakuza
Best of Comics 2008
Three sites for best of 2008 comics lists: Blair Butler (here and here), Jog the Blog and a million lists by a million artists. Plus, Thought Balloonists’ 2008 highlights. Spoiler: Love is strong for Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s, All-Star Superman. Continue reading
"Best of Comics 2008"
Tags: art , comics , Frank Quitely , Grant Morrison , indie , lists , manga , superheroes , Superman , video
“You say that you have enjoyed my stories for years.”
Robert Heinlein took efficiency to whole new levels by having one reproduceable letter to respond to any inquiry. It’s worth clicking through just to see the letter’s checklist of responses. (via Occasional Superheroine and Cool Aggregator). Continue reading
"“You say that you have enjoyed my stories for years.""
Tags: fandom , geekery , lists , publishing , Robert Heinlein , science fiction , work , writing
Edd Cartier, RIP
The Shadow wouldn’t have been The Shadow and pulp wouldn’t have been pulp without Edd Cartier, who died at 94 on Christmas Day. People at Penciljack have posted art and links to his art. Continue reading
"Edd Cartier, RIP"
Tags: 1930s , A.E. van Vogt , adventure , aliens , art , comics , comics history , Edd Cartier , fantasy , Golden Age , L. Sprague de Camp , Maxwell Grant , pulp , RIP , science fiction , space , the Shadow
Radio Free Monster Island
Surrounded on all sides by awesome monsters, monstruos and kaiju, Eegah, Tabonga and Rodan do the only thing they can. They make groovy mp3’s sampling monster movie soundtracks from all over including Hammer, Toho, American International and anything a go-go or defeated by Santo. Continue reading
"Radio Free Monster Island"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , American International Pictures , audio , California , Frankenstein , Gamera , Godzilla , Hammer , horror , Italy , Japan , kaiju , King Ghidorah , lucha libre , mad science , Mexico , monsters , movies , mummies , music , musicals , Philippines , Rodan , Santo , shapeshifters , suitmation , Toho , tv , UK , vampires , werewolves
Ichthyo
Radiographs from a Smithsonian exhibit reveal the austere and lovely architecture of fish. Potato Benevolence has 4 images and a response. Continue reading
"Ichthyo"
Tags: art , photography , science , underwater
Don’t Open the Forbidden Door
You really don’t want to open the forbidden door, but it couldn’t hurt to peek at the trailer, stills and poster for Joko Anwar’s Forbidden Door / Pintu Terlarang. (new working link). Continue reading
"Don't Open the Forbidden Door"
Tags: art , blood , class , horror , Indonesia , Joko Anwar , movies , photography , posters , thrillers , video
Au Revoir, Eartha
Eartha Kitt was a great singer, a fine actress and the best Catwoman ever. Entertainment Weekly has more clips. Continue reading
"Au Revoir, Eartha"
Tags: Catwoman , Eartha Kitt , femme fatales , movies , music , RIP , superheroes , supervillainy , the ladies , tv
The Yellow Peril Seduces Unshaven, Middle Aged White Men
“She came from the Orient to seduce middle-aged white men who don’t shave.” Grady has a few things to say about the Zhang Ziyi and Dennis Quaid film, The Horsemen.
Continue reading
"The Yellow Peril Seduces Unshaven, Middle Aged White Men"
Tags: blood , Dennis Quaid , detectives , dragon lady , law enforcement , movies , murder , race , racism , serial killers , thrillers , trailers , video , yellow peril , Zhang Ziyi
Ong-Bak 2, Ong-Bak 3 and International Tensions
So not only is Ong-Bak 2 open, Ong-Bak 3 is already confirmed, starring Tony Jaa and Dan Chupong most recently from Queen of Langkasuka). Meanwhile, Grady talks about “boneless condition” in Ong-Bak 3 and various people ponder how Cambodians will see the use of a Khmer palace in a Thai movie. Others, like me, ponder Tony Jaa’s wearing a Khmer scarf .
Continue reading
"Ong-Bak 2, Ong-Bak 3 and International Tensions"
Tags: action , Cambodia , Dan Chupong , historicals , kung fu , martial arts , MMA , monks , movies , muay thai , Panna Rittikrai , samurai , Thailand , Tony Jaa , video
Voltron in Oil
Voltron’s splendor is revealed in this time lapse film of Robert Burden painting. Enjoy the emo giant robot music. See Burden’s toy paintings and flags here. Continue reading
"Voltron in Oil"
Tags: animation , art , giant robots , Japan , mech , Robert Burden , robots , space , video , Voltron
Batrachian Holiday Cheer
“It’s Beginning to Look A Like Fishmen.” Yes, it sure is, especially after enjoying all the HP Lovecraft Historical Society’s Solstice classics! Continue reading
"Batrachian Holiday Cheer"
Tags: audio , Christmas , Cthulhu , Deep Ones , horror , HPLHS , Lovecraft , madness , music , musicals , underwater , video , Winter Solstice
Coraline’s Crafty Marketing
Artsy craftiness prevails in Coraline’s marketing with sweater patterns, secret handmade boxes, sheet music and a cat puppet.
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"Coraline's Crafty Marketing"
Tags: advertizing , animation , art , capitalism , craftiness , games , Harryhausen , LAIKA , magic , movies , Neil Gaiman , puppetry , stop-motion , video , YA
More Killer Jellies!
“When jellyfish populations run wild, they may jam thousands of square miles with their pulsating, gelatinous bodies…” Arm yourself with knowledge! Also, pictures! Continue reading
"More Killer Jellies!"
Tags: animals , invasion , jellyfish , photography , science , underwater , video
Mainlining the Xmas Spirit
CSI: North Pole? Christmas cards starring a disturbed Santa and Chad Vader? Blame Society Productions mainlines the Xmas spirit. Continue reading
"Mainlining the Xmas Spirit"
Tags: Aaron Yonda , Blame Society Productions , Chad Vader , Christmas , detectives , law enforcement , Madison , Matt Sloan , Midwest , Santa , Star Wars , video , Wisconsin
Bettie Page Is Dead
Bettie Page is dead, but she won’t ever really be gone. There’s an obituary and remembrances at her website. Continue reading
"Bettie Page Is Dead"
Tags: 1950s , art , Bettie Page , photography , pulp , RIP , sex , the ladies
Crocheted Dalek Doom!
Crochet your own dalek with amdown’s pattern—or planetjune’s modifications—force humans to hollow out the earth so you can drive it around the universe. Daleks conquer and destroy! Continue reading
"Crocheted Dalek Doom!"
Tags: art , craftiness , cyborgs , Dr. Who , replicants , robots , space , supervillainy , tv , UK , world domination
The Atlas of True Names
They may say they are inspired by Tolkien, but it looks like a lark, of an etymological nature, to me! The Atlas of True Names converts place names into their original meanings. It’s like a whole different world. Continue reading
"The Atlas of True Names"
Tags: etymology , geography , language , maps , Tolkien , toponyms , translation
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Oh, to live in the era of the Regency Romance or the epic medieval adventure! Oh, except that life would suck: “No painless dentistry, eccentric provision for sewage, no penicillin
and no concept of asepsis, and the condition of most women was not one
that I aspire to.” Continue reading
"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
Tags: 1700s , adventure , Charlotte Bronte , class , escapism , feminism , feudalism , gender , historicals , Jane Austen , Madeleine Robins , medieval , race , realism , reality , Regency , romance , writing
Too Many Books?
Is it really true? “You can never have too many books”? Try out Book View Cafe and find out. Continue reading
"Too Many Books?"
Tags: Amy Sterling , Anne Harris , beta , Brenda Clough , Christie Golden , collaboration , Darcy Pattison , Eliska Kimbriel , fantasy , horror , Irene Radford , Jennifer Stevenson , Jessica Freely , Kate Daniel , Laura Anne Gilman , Madeleine Robins , Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff , mysteries , Nancy Jane Moore , Pati Nagle , Rebecca Lickiss , romance , Sarah Zettel , science fiction , Sue Lange , Susan Wright , Sylvia Kelso Katharine , Ursula K. Le Guin , Vonda N. McIntyre
Bad Day for a Hitman
It’s a bad day for the hitmen in Fewdio’s Marie, starring Gutter Guest John Crye, and Curse, co-written by John. But I guess it’s a good day for John. Continue reading
"Bad Day for a Hitman"
Tags: 2000s , assassins , Fewdio , ghosts , horror , John Crye , religion , shorts , video , webseries
Mario Kart Love Song
“Mario Kart Love Song.” blinktwice4y’s song about Mario Kart and Love. The ‘stache makes it, though. Continue reading
"Mario Kart Love Song"
Tags: games , Mario , music , nerdcore , nintendo , video
¡Los Monstruos Resucitados!
¡Los monstruos resucitados! or at least monsters live again in Destroy All Monstruos’ gallery of Mexican movie posters. Continue reading
"¡Los Monstruos Resucitados!"
Tags: art , horror , lucha libre , Mexican cinema , Mexico , monsters , movies , posters , science fiction , Westerns , wrestling
Artsy Game Incubator
Artsy Games Incubator, because art + games = fun. Continue reading
"Artsy Game Incubator"
Tags: architecture , art , Canada , Cultural Gutter , games , horror , Jim Munroe , Lovecraft , simulation , Toronto , underwater
Creepy Christmas
Creepy Christmas, a short film advent calendar with fancy directors kinda like Gothtober and Fewdio, but Christmas. (thanks, Colin!) Continue reading
"Creepy Christmas"
Tags: Christmas , Fewdio , Gothtober , horror , J.T. Petty , movies , video
Triangle
Triangle’s a film made in a relay. The trailer is here. Continue reading
"Triangle"
Tags: action , blood , China , guns , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , Kelly Lin , Lam Ka-Tung , Lam Suet , Louis Koo , movies , Ringo Lam , Simon Yam , Sun Honglei , trailers , Tsui Hark , video
The Yakuza is not Your Friend
“Yakuza movies will always rock, and their heroes will always be the
old-style yakuza, living and dying by their code of honor, but in real
life the heroes are 603 normal people in the Kurume who are doing what
the cops and the government will not: standing up to the yakuza and
trying to run them out of town.” Grady Hendrix has a lot more to say at Kaiju Shakedown. Continue reading
"The Yakuza is not Your Friend"
Tags: action , gangsters , guns , Japan , Juzo Itami , movies , Yakuza
The Wolverines, 24 Years Later
John Plotz re-watches Red Dawn and sees a different movie: “Red Dawn did not conjure up the chest-swelling patriotism
I felt as a 14-year-old. Instead, it turned out to be disturbing in an
entirely unexpected way.” Continue reading
"The Wolverines, 24 Years Later"
Tags: action , alternate history , blood , Caribbean , Charlie Sheen , communism , Cuba , dystopia , guns , Harry Dean Stanton , invasion , Jennifer Grey , John Milius , military , movies , Nicaragua , North America , Patrick Swayze , South America , Soviet , war , WWIII
Flame On!
Calling all True Believers, the Fantastic Four is on the air starring Bill Murray as the voice of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Continue reading
"Flame On!"
Tags: 1970s , audio , Bill Murray , comics , Fantastic Four , Jack Kirby , Marvel , radio , Stan Lee , superheroes
Batman vs. Batman, Turkey
“The royalty of the name ‘Batman’ belongs to us … There is only one
Batman in the world. The American producers used the name of our city
without informing us[.]” The city of Batman in Turkey plans to sue Christopher Nolan. (via Lady, That’s My Skull) Continue reading
"Batman vs. Batman, Turkey"
Tags: Batman , Christopher Nolan , comics , court , superheroes , Turkey , versus
Electric Dragon 80,000 Volts
Electric Dragon 80,000 Volts: Filled with Electricity! Filled with Emotion! Conversing with dragons and creatures, is a man! Dragon Eye Morrison!” (Thanks, Colin!)
Continue reading
"Electric Dragon 80,000 Volts"
Tags: dragons , Ishii Sogo , Japan , music , punk , science fiction , superheroes , Tadanobu Asano , trailers , versus , video
Everybody Dies, Jim Munroe Style
Don’t bother guessing the verb, just click here to play Former Games Editor Jim Munroe’s Everybody Dies which just took 3rd place at the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition. You can also learn more about the process of writing interactive fiction and see Michael Cho’s sweet illustrations.
Continue reading
"Everybody Dies, Jim Munroe Style"
Tags: Cultural Gutter , Detroit , games , indie , interactivity , Jim Munroe , Michael Cho , text adventure
First Second’s Prince of Persia
Jog writes a meditation about time, movement and water in Prince of Persia, the game and graphic novel. It’s nice. You might like it. Continue reading
"First Second's Prince of Persia"
Tags: A.B. Sina , adaptation , adventure , Alex Puvilland , animation , comics , fantasy , games , Jordan Mechner , Le Uyen Pham , magic , Persia , Prince of Persia , swords and sandals , time travel , twins
Watch the Skies!
The Telegraph watches the skies with 140 years of UFO photographs. Continue reading
"Watch the Skies!"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , alien abduction , Argentina , Australia , Bolivia , Brazil , California , China , Hawai'i , invasion , Italy , Japan , New York , Nineteenth Century , Peru , Poland , Sicily , South America , space , spaceships , Switzerland , UFOs , Washington DC , WWII
LOLthots
oh, hai! Jay Dixit ponders the humanity in lolcats (and talks to The New Yorker’s cartoons editor about them):
“By articulating profound feelings through cats and marine mammals
speaking garbled English, we’re able to shroud genuine emotions in
pseudo-irony — which means those animals can evoke deeper emotions
without fear of mockery or cheapness.”
Continue reading
"LOLthots"
Tags: animals , cartooning , cartoons , cats , irony , lolcats , memes , tragedy , walruses
Narrative and Interactivity
The Artful Gamer ponders interactivity, engagement and narrative in videogames: “Instead of beating our collective heads against the wall as we try to
design games that let players live out their wildest desires, we should
be developing worlds that encourage players to explore them as living,
breathing, places.” Continue reading
"Narrative and Interactivity"
Tags: design , games , interactivity , narrative
Red Heroine
Before there were Hong Kong movies, there were Shanghai movies. 1929’s Red Heroine is the only surviving silent kung fu feature from Shanghai’s golden age. The Devil’s Music Ensemble provides live accompaniment. Hopefully, they’ll tour. Wise Kwai has more information and a trailer.
Continue reading
"Red Heroine"
Tags: 1920s , China , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , movies , music , Red Devil Ensemble , Shanghai , silents , soundtracks , trailers , video , wuxia
SpyCast!
Get the skinny on spying with the International Spy Museum’s SpyCast. The Background Briefings about East Germany’s “Romeo agents” and “Spies of the Kaiser” are pretty neat, too. Continue reading
"SpyCast!"
Tags: 007 , assassins , audio , Cold War , communism , East Germany , Germany , ninjas , podcasts , romance , sex , Soviet , spies , stealth , UK , WWI
Cerise and Girl-Wonder Join Forces
Girls play games and boy are they pissed: Cerise Magazine and Girl Wonder.org join forces for a women, comics and games special issue. Continue reading
"Cerise and Girl-Wonder Join Forces"
Tags: comics , conventions and festivals , craftiness , Darth Vader , design , feminism , games , RPGs , sexism , Star Wars , the ladies , webcomics
Beggar So, Zhao Wen-Zhou and Chiu Man-Chuk
Chiu Man-Chuk aka Zhao Wen-Zhou is playing drunken Taoist folk hero Beggar So in Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend. Colin at Kung Fu Fridays has more, including some reminiscences about Chiu Man-Chuk and a very cool anti-poaching ad at the bottom. Continue reading
"Beggar So, Zhao Wen-Zhou and Chiu Man-Chuk"
Tags: action , advertizing , animals , Beggar So , China , Chiu Man-Chuk , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , movies , video , Wong Fei-Hung , Yuen Woo-Ping , Zhao Wen-Zhou
Go To DMC!
Go to Detroit Metal City! Or at least go to the creditless opening for the anime series… and maybe the trailer for the same series. Continue reading
"Go To DMC!"
Tags: animation , anime , comedy , Detroit , Detroit Metal City , Japan , Kiminori Wakasugi , Metal , music , trailers , video
Lordi’s Deadache
Latex Metal menace and 2006 Eurovision song contest winner Lordi talk KISS and costumes with Artisan News Service. (Mr. Lordi was held up in traffic). Here’s Lordi at Eurovision. Continue reading
"Lordi's Deadache"
Tags: Finland , interviews , KISS , Lordi , Metal , music , video
Let The Right One In
In 1970s Sweden a bullied boy falls for a girl who’s been 12 for a long time. Enjoy elegant effects and nice winter shots in Let The Right One In. Continue reading
"Let The Right One In"
Tags: 1970s , Brezhnev , horror , John Ajvide Lindqvist , movies , Soviet , Sweden , Tomas Alfredson , trailers , undead , vampires , video
Bubba Nosferatu Rises from the Grave!
Bubba Nosferatu and the Curse of the She-Vampires has risen from the grave with Ron Perlman taking over as Elvis. Or at least it’s a little closer to risen than it was. The official site’s here. Taste the blood of Bubba Nosferatu! (Yeah, I like Hammer Horror titles). Continue reading
"Bubba Nosferatu Rises from the Grave!"
Tags: Bruce Campbell , Don Coscarelli , Elvis , Hammer , horror , Joe Lansdale , movies , mummies , Paul Giamatti , Ron Perlman , vampires
Presidential Futurism
Slate surveys African-American presidents in tv and film—with clips! Salon looks at “Black Presidents We Have Known,” looking at DW Griffith, the year 2228, Sammy Davis, Jr. and 24 along the way. Meanwhile, Io9 urges you to choose Nixon as your dystopian president. (updated!)
Continue reading
"Presidential Futurism"
Tags: action , afrofuturism , Alan Moore , alternate history , animation , Brazil , comics , D.W. Griffith , Dave Chappelle , dystopia , James Earl Jones , lists , Luc Besson , Mike Judge , Morgan Freeman , movies , presidents , race , retrofuturism , Richard Nixon , Rod Serling , Sammy Davis Jr. , science fiction , South , thrillers , tv , video , YA
Opus Goes to his Final Rest
Opus the penguin goes to his final rest (last panel here). Berkeley Breathed explains why Opus needs to go. “Satire we’ll have. Rather, the real dearth in our world will be sweetness, comfort, thoughtfulness and civility.” Continue reading
"Opus Goes to his Final Rest"
Tags: Berkeley Breathed , cartooning , cartoons , Charles Schulz , comics , Opus , penguins , RIP
Vargel Geroth, Monster from Hell
Vargel Geroth, Monster from Hell. (A special short from Fewdio). Continue reading
"Vargel Geroth, Monster from Hell"
Tags: 2000s , Babylon , demons , Fewdio , hell , horror , magic , monsters , shorts , video , webseries , wizards
“oh man, I could barely make it through this one”
Visions of Terror haunt a woman chased by a horror fanboy. Oh man, he can barely make it through this one. Continue reading
""oh man, I could barely make it through this one""
Tags: Elliot Gould , fandom , horror , Josh Fadem , movies , parody , Rodney Ascher , the ladies , VHS , video
23 Variations on the Vampire
From Sesame Street’s the Count to Swamp Thing’s aquatic vampires to The Lost Boys, hopping vampires and Richard Matheson, the AV Club has 23 variations on the vampire. Continue reading
"23 Variations on the Vampire"
Tags: Alan Moore , comics , gyonshi , Hong Kong , horror , Jim Henson , Kiefer Sutherland , Lance Henriksen , lists , movies , muppets , paranormality , puppetry , Richard Matheson , Sammo Hung , science fiction , space , suburbia , Swamp Thing , Tobe Hooper , underwater , vampires , video , viruses , YA
FEARnet does Halloween up right
In fact, FEARnet does Halloween up right with all their FEAR Fest treats: Streets of Fear, a review of Haunted houses and tricks of the costume trade. Continue reading
"FEARnet does Halloween up right"
Tags: animals , craftiness , fraternities/sororities , ghosts , Halloween , hauntings , horror , movies , road trips , special effects , video
66.6 Seconds of Fear
FEARnet brings you 66.6 seconds of fear. Horror movies stripped down to their basics.
Continue reading
"66.6 Seconds of Fear"
Tags: Halloween , horror , movies , video
The Business of Reviewing
Amazon takes down its biggest gun: Harriet Klausner falls from #1 reviewer on the site all the way down to #442, due to some ranking changes. Continue reading
"The Business of Reviewing"
Scientists and TV
What’s going on with science in TV shows? Cocktail Party Physics takes a look, and The Mentalist comes out the clear favourite.
Continue reading
"Scientists and TV"
Gothtober 2008
Explore the mysterious mission de las calaveras in Gothtober’s 2008 Halloween advent calendar. Continue reading
"Gothtober 2008"
Tags: animation , art , Dia de los Muertos , gothic , Gothtober , Halloween , horror , LGBT , music , Queerness , video
Spooky Old Time Radio
Listen to the Mercury Theater of the Air’s 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast and fear the impending Martian Invasion. And for more Halloween fun, listen to the chilling horror of shows like Suspense, The Inner Sanctum and The Strange Doctor Weird (who also sells hats). Continue reading
"Spooky Old Time Radio"
Tags: Agnes Moorehead , angry red planet , audio , fantasy , H.G. Wells , Halloween , horror , invasion , Joseph Cotton , Orson Welles , podcasts , pulp , radio , thrillers
Ong Bak 2: “Real Fight is Back!”
Tony Jaa lives in a mixed martial arts village, befriends the elephants and takes people apart in this new Ong Bak 2 trailer. He’s much better than Mowgli.
Continue reading
"Ong Bak 2: "Real Fight is Back!""
Tags: animals , Cambodia , elephants , India , kendo , kung fu , martial arts , military , MMA , monks , movies , muay thai , Panna Rittikrai , samurai , Thailand , Tony Jaa , trailers , video
Italian Spiderman
Italian Spiderman: now my new favorite thing ever, too. (Thanks, John!) Continue reading
"Italian Spiderman"
Tags: 2000s , action , California , Italy , lucha libre , Mexico , movies , Spider-Man , superheroes , video , webseries
The Spaghetti Western Orchestra
Got enough Ennio Morricone in your life? I thought not. Presenting the Spaghetti Western Orchestra performing, “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.” Their website’s here. (thanks, Colin!)
Continue reading
"The Spaghetti Western Orchestra"
Tags: adaptation , Australia , Ennio Morricone , Italy , music , Sergio Leone , soundtracks , video , Westerns
Dr. Julius T. Roundbottom, Scientist and Philosopher
Dr. Julius T. Roundbottom, gentleman of science, reports on a paper he delivered to the Adventurer’s Club a pack of “close-minded fools more interested in the rush of adrenaline than actual science.” (thanks, Steven!) Continue reading
"Dr. Julius T. Roundbottom, Scientist and Philosopher"
Tags: ectoplasm , faeries , mad science , science , steam punk , Victorian
Missing the Point in Ashes of Time
Grady Hendrix writes about missing the point in martial arts and action movies, especially Ashes of Time: “Character, dialogue and subtext are important parts of the
moviegoing experience, but there’s another more primal language that’s
harder to parse and that’s the language of action.” Continue reading
"Missing the Point in Ashes of Time"
Tags: action , Bruce Lee , Buster Keaton , China , criticism , Hong Kong , Jackie Chan , Jet Li , kung fu , martial arts , movies , physical acting , Sammo Hung , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Tsui Hark , Wong Fei-Hung , Wong Kar-Wai , wuxia , Yuen Biao
Welcome Home, Brother Charles Rap
Scroll down for some rap based on Welcome Home, Brother Charles, a film about a Black man castrated by a white cop who gets revenge when his penis grows back. Continue reading
"Welcome Home, Brother Charles Rap"
Tags: blaxploitation , exploitation , hip hop , movies , music , nerdcore , sex , sexploitation , vengeance , video
Another Asian (Stealth) Western
“I’ve been on the road so long. I want a home.” My favorite trailer for Johnnie To’s stealth Western, Exiled.
Continue reading
"Another Asian (Stealth) Western"
Tags: action , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , Cheung Siu-Fai , China , Francis Ng , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , Lam Ka-Tung , Lam Suet , Macau , movies , Nick Cheung , Roy Cheung , Simon Yam , trailers , Triads , video , Westerns , Yip Tin-Shing
The Towel Trick and the Red Ring of Death
Playing Viva Pinata, Darren Zenko faces the Red Ring of Death, and wins. (thanks, gentleman jim!)
Continue reading
"The Towel Trick and the Red Ring of Death"
Tags: games , lo fi , technology , Viva Pinata , Xbox
Tammy Faye Bakker’s Puppet Songs
You knew evangelist and Queer icon Tammy Faye Bakker used to have a puppet show, right? And her puppets weren’t muppets, they were scary, shellac-headed hand puppets. Way Out Junk has Oops! There Comes a Smile, a collection of Tammy Faye’s puppet songs and stories. Continue reading
"Tammy Faye Bakker's Puppet Songs"
Tags: audio , camp , children , Christianity , edutainment , fear and loathing , LGBT , music , puppetry , Queerness , religion , Tammy Faye Bakker
A Little More Weird Western
How about a little more of Kim Ji-Woon’s The Good, The Bad and the Weird, my favorite Western, weird or not, in a while. Look at Jung Woo-Sung ride! (And watch out for some horse-tripping).
Continue reading
"A Little More Weird Western"
Tags: conventions and festivals , Jung Woo-sung , Kim Ji-woon , Lee Byung-hun , Midnight Madness , movies , Song Kang-ho , South Korea , trailers , video , Westerns
The Burrowers Trailer
Some say The Burrowers is like The Searchers. Kinda is. The Burrowers is also a weird western and it hit me hard. Here’s the trailer. Continue reading
"The Burrowers Trailer"
Tags: animals , Burrowers , Clancy Brown , conventions and festivals , historicals , horror , J.T. Petty , Midnight Madness , monsters , trailers , video , Weird Westerns , Westerns
Tony Jaa Found! Full of News!
Muay Thai and now mixed martial arts machine Tony Jaa is still found and still working on Ong-Bak 2. He also has a sword and a Khmer palace and an interview up at his official site. (via Kaiju Shakedown).
Continue reading
"Tony Jaa Found! Full of News!"
Tags: action , Cambodia , interviews , martial arts , MMA , movies , muay thai , Panna Rittikrai , Thailand , Tony Jaa , video
Past, Present and Retro-Future Collide—in 3-D!
A 1953 3-D comic online? My brain doesn’t have the power to contain the glory of past, present and retro-future colliding in Brain Power! Continue reading
"Past, Present and Retro-Future Collide--in 3-D!"
Tags: 3D , comics , dinosaurs , retrofuturism , scans , science fiction , Silver Age , technology
JJ Sonny Chiba, Ph.D.
Kyoto University of Art and Design’s newest teacher is none other than JJ Sonny Chiba. Prof. Chiba will be teaching film acting and swordfighting. And I bet ninjitsu, but secretly. (via Kaiju Shakedown) Continue reading
"JJ Sonny Chiba, Ph.D."
Tags: acting , action , education , Japan , kendo , Kyoto , martial arts , movies , ninjas , Sonny Chiba
DC Nixes Minx
No more Plain Janes from DC. It’s nixing Minx, it’s line directed at girls. Shannon Smith breaks it down in bookstore terms. When Fangirls Attack has more. Continue reading
"DC Nixes Minx"
Tags: capitalism , Cecil Castellucci , comics , DC , disappointment , feminism , Minx , Plain Janes , the ladies , YA
Giant Razorbacks, “Reluctant Superstuds” and Jimmy Wang Yu
Let your cursor drift to the right and all the way down for Ozploitation trailer goodness like a giant razorback, a postapocalyptic drive-in, erection jokes as well as Donald Pleasance, George Lazenby and Jimmy Wang Yu at Flyp magazine’s look at Not Quite Hollywood. Continue reading
"Giant Razorbacks, "Reluctant Superstuds" and Jimmy Wang Yu"
Tags: action , animals , Australia , Brian Trenchard Smith , cars , Donald Pleasance , Dracula , dystopia , exploitation , George Lazenby , giant animals , Jimmy Wang Yu , kung fu , martial arts , musicals , Ozploitation , sexploitation , trailers , twins , vampires , video
Vampirella Make-Over
Vampirella’s been needing a make-over for a long time. Project: Rooftop has original Vampirella costume designer and feminist historian Trina Robbins judge the results. Continue reading
"Vampirella Make-Over"
Tags: comics , feminism , scans , superheroes , the ladies , Trina Robbins , Vampirella , vampires
Robots of the Deep
First, robotic flying manta ray. Now, robotic flying jellyfish. (thanks, Dave!) Continue reading
"Robots of the Deep"
Tags: jellyfish , manta rays , robots , science , underwater , video
“The Joker is Us”
“No wonder we crave an entertainment like The Dark Knight, where every
topic we’re unable to quit not-thinking about is whirled into a
cognitively dissonant milkshake of rage, fear and, finally, absolving
confusion.” Jonathan Lethem writes about The Dark Knight and America.
Continue reading
""The Joker is Us""
Tags: Batman , Dark Knight , Heath Ledger , Joker , Jonathan Lethem , movies , superheroes
New Hammer Horror!
New Hammer Horror is on the horizon with The Wake Wood. No Crypts, no capes, but plenty of rural Ireland. Find out more at their fancily corporate website. (via Twitch) Continue reading
"New Hammer Horror!"
Tags: Hammer , horror , Ireland , movies , UK
Peace through Kung Fu
Jackie Chan lectures rival Timorese martial arts clans, contributes to world peace. Warring clans come together into one fist. Continue reading
"Peace through Kung Fu"
Tags: China , Hong Kong , Indonesia , Jackie Chan , kung fu , martial arts , MMA , silat , Timor Leste , war
Dear Mr. Comic Book Writer Guy
Correspondence between Heather Anne and her favorite Comic Book Writer Guy:
“10 days ago, this comic shop owner man sold me your first trade
paperback. I rolled my eyes at him on account of I READ JANE AUSTEN.
Okay? I don’t need books with pictures. Then I liked your story pretty
good so I went back and got a couple more of The Trades.” (via Comics Should Be Good)
Continue reading
"Dear Mr. Comic Book Writer Guy"
Tags: Brontes , comics , fandom , J.K. Rowling , Jane Austen , the ladies , Victorian
Zombies are Coming
During a zombie outbreak should you avoid public facilities? Can zombies sense of smell be used against them? Do zombies have a sense of smell? Do you have a plan for a zombie plague? Think too much about zombies and zombie plans? Zombies Are Coming might be for you. Continue reading
"Zombies are Coming"
Tags: zombies
Andre is a Black Nerd
Andre is a proud, certified Black nerd. And he’s awesome. (He’s also going to buy him a Wii). Continue reading
"Andre is a Black Nerd"
Tags: afrogeekery , Dance Dance Revolution , games , geekery , Gremlins , Mario , movies , music , nerdcore , nintendo , video , vlog , Wii
Buffy: The Animated Series
“A few years ago, as Buffy The Vampire Slayer was wrapping up its seven year run, creator Joss Whedon
announced that there was a Fox animated series in development that
would feature the characters back in High School, and include the
character of Dawn[.]” The clip looks really good. So good I’m kinda sad now… Continue reading
"Buffy: The Animated Series"
Tags: animation , Buffy , Joss Whedon , tv , vampires , video
A Kaiju A Week
There’s a kaiju a week at August Ragone site dedicated to Godzilla, Toho and the rubber-suited menace. Here’s his entry on an early incarnation of the three-headed fan favorite, King Ghidorah. (Warning: extreme kaiju knowledge!) Continue reading
"A Kaiju A Week"
Tags: Godzilla , Japan , kaiju , King Ghidorah , monsters , movies , space , suitmation , Toho
Incredible Change!
Chee-choo-chee-chuck! It’s a trailer for The Incredible Change-bots—more than just machines! Continue reading
"Incredible Change!"
Tags: cars , comics , giant robots , Jeffrey Brown , robots , trailers , Transformers , video
JeeJa Yanin vs. Street Fighter
Chocolate’s JeeJa Yanin fights Street Fighter characters! On stage! On Thai Game Show 2008! She is the World Fighter!
Continue reading
"JeeJa Yanin vs. Street Fighter"
Tags: games , Jeeja Vismistananda , Jeeja Yanin , martial arts , MMA , movies , muay thai , Street Fighter , taekwondo , Thailand , versus , video
Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s clobberin’ time!!!
Comic artists draw their favourite literary figures/authors/characters at Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s clobberin’ time!!! Continue reading
"Hey Oscar Wilde! It's clobberin' time!!!"
Tags: art , comics , literature
“A Red-Headed Woman is an Armful of Trouble”
Some scans from gentleman’s true crime magazines:
“Joyce took a cigarette from her pocketbook. That was the signal.”
Continue reading
""A Red-Headed Woman is an Armful of Trouble""
Tags: mysteries , noir , scans , sex , the ladies , true crime
Catwoman 82
With issue 82, Catwoman’s time as a title is done. At least for now. Devon at Rack Raids has a nice little testimonial. Continue reading
"Catwoman 82"
Tags: Catwoman , comics , superheroes , thieves
Making It In Hollywood
Fewdio member John Crye explains it all in his podcast, “You Will Not Make It In Hollywood.” He also talks about geekery, fan films and reminsces about a crappy movie. (And Carol warning: two segments are from “Godzilla vs. MechaRealism” and “Frank Miller’s Hot Gates”).
Continue reading
"Making It In Hollywood"
Tags: audio , capitalism , comics , Cultural Gutter , fandom , Fewdio , Frank Miller , geekery , Godzilla , John Crye , kaiju , movies , podcasts , Star Wars , swords and sandals
Villain Cage Match
Trapped in a cage! Battling to the end! Io9’s Villain Cage Match. (A little late, but still kinda fun). Continue reading
"Villain Cage Match"
Tags: geekery , supervillainy
Fu Manchu, Mr. Moto and Firefly
Lisa Katayama at MangoBot: “Yellow peril science fiction was never large enough to be a genre in
and of itself, but I decided it was worth traveling back in time to
revisit the trend in its historical context.” (thanks, Chuck!)
Continue reading
"Fu Manchu, Mr. Moto and Firefly"
Tags: Bladerunner , Firefly , Lovecraft , movies , Philip K. Dick , pulp , science fiction , tv , William Gibson , yellow peril
Marie Curie’s Chemical Party
Here at the Cultural Gutter we have a proven fondness for edutainment from the EU. So here’s a chemical party showing elements making out and fighting. (thanks, Steven!) Continue reading
"Marie Curie's Chemical Party"
Tags: edutainment , EU , science , video
7) Everyone has cancer.
“16) If you have a nosebleed, you most definitely have cancer. And you
have no money to pay for the surgery that will save your life. And your
liver is missing. We’re not sure where it went, but it’s making your
cancer progress faster.”
Everything Mark Russell needs to know about life he learned from Korean tv dramas. Continue reading
"7) Everyone has cancer."
Tags: lists , sickness , soap opera , South Korea , tv
Response to Harassment in the Geek World
Comic Con Anti-Harassment Project and further discussion of the post we posted from Bully. Also, the Open Source Women Back Each Other Up Project, here and here. (thanks, Elizabeth!)
Continue reading
"Response to Harassment in the Geek World"
Tags: comics , conventions and festivals , fandom , feminism , gender , harassment , homophobia , race , racism , science fiction , sexism , the ladies
Cake
Looks like Photoshop? This San Andreas birthday cake for a four-year-old has to be seen to be believed…. Continue reading
"Cake"
Tags: baking , craftiness , food , Grand Theft Auto , photoshop
Efficiency!
What happens when even playing Solitaire at the office has to be done more efficiently? Continue reading
"Efficiency!"
Learning from the Best
Everything you need to know, you can learn from Arnold Drake and Doom Patrol. (via Comics Should Be Good).
Continue reading
"Learning from the Best"
Tags: animals , apes , Arnold Drake , comics , cyborgs , disability , Doom Patrol , lists , RIP , robots , scans , superheroes
Ftang, man! It’s Cthulhu
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftaghn! Ia Tori Spelling! (Thanks, Tera!)
Continue reading
"Ftang, man! It's Cthulhu"
Tags: Cthulhu , horror , Lovecraft , trailers , underwater , video
South Korean Action
Just some quick trailers: capoeira, stuntmen and actors gone bad in South Korea. Continue reading
"South Korean Action"
Tags: action , biography , capoeira , film industry , gangsters , Jang Hoon , Jeong Woo , Kang Ji-Hwan , Lee Seong-Han , martial arts , MMA , movies , realism , Seoul Action School , So Ji-Seop , South Korea , stunts , trailers , video , Yakuza
“The Doors of Vast Airlocks Opened”
“The doors of vast airlocks opened.” Some nice 1930s pulp illustrations with the swell captions of the day. Art by Elliot Dold here and here. Art by M. Marchioni here and here. Continue reading
""The Doors of Vast Airlocks Opened""
Tags: Elliot Dold , horror , M. Marchioni , pulp , scans , science fiction
Zombie Zombie’s The Thing
I just can’t convey the awesomeness of stop-motion GI Joes performing John Carpenter’s The Thing. (via Dirty Robot). Continue reading
"Zombie Zombie's The Thing"
Tags: animation , Antarctica , GI Joe , Harryhausen , John Carpenter , monsters , music , shapeshifters , space , stop-motion , the Thing , toys , video
Crying Wolf
You like her articles, now check out Romance Editor Chris Szego’s award-winning, super fantastic short story, “Cry Wolf.” Continue reading
"Crying Wolf"
Tags: Cultural Gutter , wolves
Missing Scenes, Missing Places
“These are more and more not the movies I fell in love with and I wonder
if people watching them ten years from now will even be seeing the same
film I did, or if Greedo will forever be shooting first, if PEKING
OPERA BLUES will end with a long pause instead of title cards telling
us the fate of the main characters and if Tony Leung will drink his
coffee in silence?” Grady Hendrix writes a little elegy for the missing.
Continue reading
"Missing Scenes, Missing Places"
Tags: assassins , Brigitte Lin , China , Faye Wong , Hong Kong , law enforcement , movies , noir , Star Wars , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Tsui Hark , urban , Wong Kar-Wai
Welcome to Nightmare House
Remember The Easter Bunny Is Eating My Candy? Now there’s the excellent Creep, at Fewdio’s new horror anthology website, Nightmare House.
Continue reading
"Welcome to Nightmare House"
Tags: 2000s , blood , Easter Bunny , Fewdio , horror , movies , shorts , video , webseries
Thai Spirits Explained at Kung Fu Fridays
Worried you don’t know a Banana Ghost from a flying vampire head? Here’s a clip with the low down on Thai ghosts. Continue reading
"Thai Spirits Explained at Kung Fu Fridays"
Tags: ghosts , horror , paranormality , Thailand , vampires , video
Just Digging Lego Batman
That’s right. Just digging Lego Batman. And Lego Poison Ivy. And, surprisingly, Lego Nightwing.
Continue reading
"Just Digging Lego Batman"
Tags: Batman , comics , games , movies , Nightwing , Poison Ivy , Robin , supervillainy , trailers , video
Killer Panda!
Worse than killer bees or killer jellyfish are pandas! Deadly, bitey pandas that must by shot by white men on safari! Behold and shudder: scans of “Facing Death in a Panda’s Mouth!” Continue reading
"Killer Panda!"
Tags: adventure , animals , China , comics , Golden Age , jellyfish , killer bees , pandas , safari , scans
Where is Tony Jaa?
First Dave Chappelle, now Tony Jaa? The Midnight Madness blog has the story. Hope it’s not as sad as it seems. Continue reading
"Where is Tony Jaa?"
Tags: action , Dave Chappelle , martial arts , Midnight Madness , movies , muay thai , Prachya Pinkaew , Thailand , Tony Jaa
“If this is Gotham, get me a one-way ticket to Metropolis.”
Mel at Bluestocking Banter smells some Frank Miller in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight: “Dark, sure. Violent, yes. But fascist? Maybe.” Continue reading
""If this is Gotham, get me a one-way ticket to Metropolis.""
Tags: Batman , blood , Christopher Nolan , fascism , Frank Miller , movies , superheroes
Ranting, Harshly
Geralt, the randy hero of the Polish RPG The Witcher, takes a beating courteous of Twenty Sided: “I picture him getting up each morning and looking at his pasty withered mug in the mirror while thinking, “Yeah baby, I still got it“. Continue reading
"Ranting, Harshly"
Viral Muppets
It might be the best thing ever, muppets uploading video on YouTube: Beaker as meepmeepmeepow, Sam the Eagle as patrioticeagle, the Swedish Chef as deumnborkborkbork, the Great Gonzo as weirdowhatever and Statler and Waldorf respond to videos as heckle247. Continue reading
"Viral Muppets"
Tags: Jim Henson , monsters , muppets , music , musicals , puppetry , video
“Narration would kill the effect; disorientation is key.”
Some smartypants analysis of DC’s Final Crisis at the ever-smart, Thought Balloonists: “I can’t decide whether this tone of emotional vacancy is
meant to underscore, by contrast, the mounting horror of what is clearly
intended to be a dark tale, or whether Final Crisis simply reflects the Pop
wisdom that trying too hard or caring too obviously equals uncool.” Continue reading
""Narration would kill the effect; disorientation is key.""
Tags: comics , event comics , Grant Morrison , Jack Kirby , multiverse , narrative , superheroes
2008 Madness Begins
The 2008 Midnight Madness films have been announced. If you’re in Toronto then, you’ll have a chance to see movies like Chocolate, Detroit Metal City, JCVD and The Burrowers (no trailer) on the big screen. I’ma be there. Continue reading
"2008 Madness Begins"
Tags: action , autism , Belgium , biography , Brussels , Burrowers , Canada , Clancy Brown , comedy , conventions and festivals , Detroit , disability , J.T. Petty , Japan , Jean-Claude Van Damme , Jeeja Vismistananda , Jeeja Yanin , karate , Ken'ichi Matsuyama , KISS , kung fu , Mabrouk el Mechri , manga , martial arts , metafiction , Metal , Midnight Madness , MMA , movies , muay thai , music , parody , Prachya Pinkaew , satire , taekwondo , Thailand , Tokyo , Toronto , Toshio Lee , trailers , video , Westerns
Respectable Newspaper, All Geek
The Austin Chronicle’s the paper of the future with an all science fiction edition. News, books, music, everything. (I’m especially excited about the music—The Day the Earth Stood Still and afronauts). Continue reading
"Respectable Newspaper, All Geek"
Tags: afrofuturism , afrogeekery , afronauts , art , Austin , movies , music , science , science fiction , soundtracks , star children , Texas
Just Talking about the Dark Knight
Kehr and Uhlich are just talking about the Dark Knight. And the war on terror. Can you dig it? (via Salon) Continue reading
"Just Talking about the Dark Knight"
Tags: Batman , Christian Bale , Christopher Nolan , Heath Ledger , movies , vigilanteism
Soundtracks! Listen!
The Sparrow soundtrack is as smooth and cool as Simon Yam in a relaxed fit suit. Grady Hendrix agrees, and then adds Bollywood for your immediate listening pleasure. Immediate in the sense of clicking through. Continue reading
"Soundtracks! Listen!"
Tags: audio , Bollywood , China , Fred Avril , Hong Kong , India , Johnnie To , movies , music , Simon Yam , soundtracks , Xavier Jamaux
Jeff Smith, Respectable
Bone artist Jeff Smith was interviewed on PBS’ Newshour and is on exhibit at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts. What could be more respectable? Slide show and viewer questions for Jeff here. Art Center coolness here. Continue reading
"Jeff Smith, Respectable"
Tags: adventure , art , Bone , comics , fantasy , Jeff Smith , Midwest , Ohio , scans , tv , video
Kung Fu, Gangsters, Etc.
Scroll down to see scans of Colin Geddes’ Fantasia Hong Kong film poster exhibit at Cinematheque Quebecoise: The Magnificent Butcher, Twelve Deadly Coins, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, City on Fire, Exiled, Triangle. Sammo Hung, Cheng Pei-Pei, Ti Lung, Donnie Yen, Chow Yun-Fat, Anthony Wong. Continue reading
"Kung Fu, Gangsters, Etc."
Tags: action , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , art , Canada , Chang Cheh , Cheng Pei-Pei , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Donnie Yen , film history , gangsters , Gordon Liu , guns , Hong Kong , Jet Li , Johnnie To , kung fu , Lau Kar-Leung , martial arts , Montreal , movies , Quebec , Ringo Lam , Sammo Hung , scans , Shaw Bros. , Ti Lung , Triads , Tsui Hark , wuxia
“I Wish to Christ I could stop Grinning”
Ever wonder what the Kool-Aid Man would be like as a veteran of the San Francisco Beat poetry scene? Alan Moore and Peter Bagge know the score.
Continue reading
""I Wish to Christ I could stop Grinning""
Tags: advertizing , Alan Moore , Beatniks , California , capitalism , comics , drugs , end times , Hunter S. Thompson , Ken Kesey , Kool-Aid , Neil Cassady , Peter Bagge , pharmaceuticals , poetry , religion , San Francisco , scans , Tom Wolfe
Your Own Private FanTasia
Sad you didn’t make it to Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival? Ease the pain with an interview with Gordon Liu. (Thanks, Colin!)
Continue reading
"Your Own Private FanTasia"
Tags: action , audio , China , Gordon Liu , Hong Kong , interviews , kung fu , martial arts , Montreal , movies , Quebec
The End Justifies the Means
From kids tricked into destroying the earth when they think they’re destroying Venus to inch high Martians to a time traveling Benedict Arnold, every writing workshop should teach these “Ten Ways To End A Story.” Continue reading
"The End Justifies the Means"
Tags: angry red planet , comics , framers , mad science , pulp , robots , rockets , scans , shrinking , space , space opera , spies , the moon , time travel , Venus , world domination , writing
A Million Different Earths, A Million Different Movies
Grady Hendrix muses on the alternate cuts of films for different festivals, different countries and different regions. “A million different earths, and on every one of them, an alternate cut of Days of Being Wild.” Continue reading
"A Million Different Earths, A Million Different Movies"
Tags: capitalism , censorship , China , conventions and festivals , film industry , Hong Kong , Leslie Cheung , movies , multiverse , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Wong Kar-Wai
Indy Rocks, Indy 1 That Is
Perhaps it’s the inevitable problem of sequels, after a movie like Raiders of the Lost Ark that’s structured very tightly:
“Therefore, he can’t begin his journey with the motivation of “keeping
the Ark’s power out of the hands of the Nazis”, because he simple
doesn’t believe there’s any power to be had from it.” Continue reading
"Indy Rocks, Indy 1 That Is"
“Laughter is Just a Slowed Down Scream of Terror”
Elizabeth Hand remembers Thomas Disch: “An openly gay man for most of his working life, Disch wrote mysteries,
historical novels and neo-gothic satires; children’s books, including ‘The Brave Little Toaster’ and its sequel; at least five collections of short fiction; 15 volumes of poetry, always as Tom Disch; plays and libretti; four volumes of nonfiction; screen adaptations, novelizations and one of the first interactive computer games.” Continue reading
""Laughter is Just a Slowed Down Scream of Terror""
Tags: alternate history , dystopia , Elizabeth Hand , games , gothic , Jeremy Lethem , LGBT , London , Michael Moorcock , mysteries , New Wave , New York , RIP , Samuel R. Delany , science fiction , Thomas Disch , William Gibson , YA
Art and Games
“I do believe that games can be a form of artistic expression, a co-collaboration between player and designer. We have yet to prove we can do meaningful things with this form of expression, but I believe we are at the cusp of a Cambrian explosion of possibilities.” Read more of what game designer Will Wright thinks (and see Jim Munroe’s “Trip to Liberty City” Wright refers to). Continue reading
"Art and Games"
Tags: art , collaboration , design , games , Grand Theft Auto , Jim Munroe , narrative , sandbox , Sims , Will Wright
Ong Bak 2
Tony Jaa’s been bit by the mixed martial arts bug and Twitch has the proof. Plus a fight on elephants. (via Kung Fu Fridays). Continue reading
"Ong Bak 2"
Tags: action , kendo , kung fu , martial arts , MMA , movies , muay thai , Thailand , Tony Jaa , trailers , video
Chocolate: Ass-Kicking, Autism, Revenge
“Autism: Blessing or Curse?” the trailer for Prachya Pinkaew’s Chocolate asks. Instead of being a mathematical prodigy or cattle- whisperer, Jeeja Vismistananda stars as an autistic woman who’s learned “every fighting move recorded.” Continue reading
"Chocolate: Ass-Kicking, Autism, Revenge"
Tags: action , autism , Bruce Lee , disability , Jeeja Vismistananda , Jeeja Yanin , kung fu , martial arts , MMA , movies , muay thai , Prachya Pinkaew , taekwondo , Thailand , the ladies , trailers , video
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Everybody loves a supervillain. Especially a low-end one. Especially me. Here’s a teaser for Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. And here’s the crosspromotional Captain Hammer comic. Continue reading
"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"
Tags: comics , Dr. Horrible , Felicia Day , Joss Whedon , mad science , madness , Nathan Fillion , Neil Patrick Harris , superheroes , supervillainy , video , webseries
100 Hulks Charity Auction Gallery
Predictably enough, you get to see The Hulk smash. But he also pets a kitten. Recreates the Pieta. Feeds a deer. Is afraid of a bug. Whitewashes a fence. And does much, much, more - all for charity - at the 100 Hulks Charity Auction Gallery. Also, Part II. Also, Part III. Continue reading
"100 Hulks Charity Auction Gallery"
Tags: art , comics , David Finch , Don Perlin , Ed McGuinness , Frank Cho , Fred Hembeck , Herb Trimpe , J. Scott Campbell , Joe Quesada , John Cassaday , John Romita Sr. , Mike Deodato Jr. , Ron Garney , Ron Wilson , Sal Buscema , scans , the Hulk
Hellboy and the Hobbit
Guillermo del Toro has a lot to say about Hellboy and hobbits at the L.A. Film Festival. (Really, it’s an hour interview). Continue reading
"Hellboy and the Hobbit"
Tags: conventions and festivals , Guillermo del Toro , Hellboy , horror , interviews , Mike Mignola , movies , The Hobbit , Tolkien , video
Chad Vader Trains His Staff
In honor of the Gutter’s trip to Madison, we present, Chad Vader Training Videos here and here. If you haven’t seen the Chad Vader, Day Shift Manager episodes, looky here. (And yes, I saw the food co-op where it’s shot). Continue reading
"Chad Vader Trains His Staff"
Tags: Blame Society Productions , Chad Vader , Darth Vader , Madison , Midwest , Star Wars , supervillainy , video , Wisconsin
Afrofuturism
Preserved from usenet, Mark Dery’s 1994 essay on Afrofuturism:
“Hack this: Why do so few African-Americans write science fiction, a
genre whose close encounters with the Other—-the stranger in a strange
land—-would seem uniquely suited to the concerns of African-American
novelists? …. This is especially perplexing in light of the fact that African-Americans are, in a very real sense, the descendants of alien abductees.”
Continue reading
"Afrofuturism"
Tags: afrofuturism , afrogeekery , afronauts , alien abduction , cyberpunk , hacking , hip hop , LGBT , music , Octavia Butler , Queerness , Samuel R. Delany , science fiction , space , star children
Mothership Connection
It’s a history of Afronauts in music, from Rev. A.W. Nix to Sun Ra to Lil Wayne.
Continue reading
"Mothership Connection"
Tags: afrofuturism , afrogeekery , afronauts , funk , hip hop , music , nerdcore , science fiction , space , space opera , star children
MK vs DCU screenshots: Dark Knight vs Ninja!
Always wanted to see the Dark Knight go ninja a ninja with Scorpion? Newsarama has screenshots from the Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe game. Continue reading
"MK vs DCU screenshots: Dark Knight vs Ninja!"
Tags: assassins , Batman , games , JLA , martial arts , Mortal Kombat , ninjas , screenshots , superheroes , versus
Good Old Photoshop
Retro Gaming on real backgrounds - the dojo and the skyscraper are both particularly good.
Continue reading
"Good Old Photoshop"
Tags: art , games
Is reading this making you stupid?
“Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives—or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts—as the Internet does today. Yet, for all that’s been written about the Net, there’s been little consideration of how, exactly, it’s reprogramming us. The Net’s intellectual ethic remains obscure.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this Atlantic Monthly article, which is too long to read. Continue reading
"Is reading this making you stupid?"
Tags: Atlantic Monthly , automation , Frederick Winslow Taylor , Google , intelligence , internet , neurology , reading , science
Spies in the Catskills
Annalee Newitz has a pretty interesting article about Get Smart and Don’t Mess with the Zohan, “Can Old-School Jewish Humor Survive in the Future?” Continue reading
"Spies in the Catskills"
Tags: Get Smart , Jewishness , movies , spies , tv
Aliens need earth ladies—earth ladies fight back!
Sleestak has an overview of Planet Comics, which published some Fletcher Hanks stories. Even better, he has scans of Futura, an Alex Raymond-influenced space opera about a secretary kidnapped because aliens need earth ladies! “Over the course of her story Futura quickly becomes less of a victim
and her journey from frightened breeding stock to strong, independent
woman is a fun and interesting one.” Continue reading
"Aliens need earth ladies--earth ladies fight back!"
Tags: adventure , Alex Raymond , comics , comics history , feminism , Fletcher Hanks , Futura , Golden Age , scans , space opera , swords and space , the ladies
Antarctica and John Carpenter’s The Thing
Big Dead Place, a website devoted to Antarctica, offers a whole section devoted to reviews (and one boardgame version) of John Carpenter’s The Thing. (Actually, the whole site is swell). Continue reading
"Antarctica and John Carpenter's The Thing"
Tags: Antarctica , blood , dice , games , horror , John Carpenter , killer plants , monsters , movies
The Modern Master of Suitmation
It’s a little Minoru Kawasaki retrospective: Calamari Wrestler (2004); Executive Koala (2005); Beetle, The Horn King (2005); Kani Goalkeeper (2006); The World Sinks Except Japan (2006).
Continue reading
"The Modern Master of Suitmation"
Tags: animation , disaster , giant animals , Japan , kaiju , Minoru Kawasaki , movies , parody , satire , special effects , sports , suitmation , trailers , video , wrestling
2 Critics Hate 2 Movies
The Incredible Hulk reviewed in Hulk-speak: “Roth get injected with serum…. Smash cars.
Tanks. Only with no trousers. Roth groin area ambiguous. Groin area
look lumpy. Bumpy. Perhaps odd penis. Perhaps odd trousers. Critic …
not sure.”
And a deliberately spoiler-rich review of The Happening: “I’m offering an alternative: A dozen and a
half of the most mind-bendingly ridiculous elements of the film, which
will enable you to marvel at its anti-genius.” (thanks, Elizabeth!)
Continue reading
"2 Critics Hate 2 Movies"
Tags: fear and loathing , M. Night Shyamalan , movies , the Hulk , trash talk
Space Monster Guilala Awakens!
After a space sabbatical of over 30 years, Space Monster Guilala returns in Minoru Kawasaki’s Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, aka Guilala’s Counterattack the Toyako Summit One-Shot Crisis. The Guilala song, the suitmation, the kaiju movie white guy—It makes me feel good in too many ways to count. More here. (via Kaiju Shakedown).
Continue reading
"Space Monster Guilala Awakens!"
Tags: animation , Guilala , Japan , kaiju , Minoru Kawasaki , monsters , movies , parody , special effects , suitmation , trailers , video
Spoilers: Galactica Mini-Finale
Abigail Nussbaum thinks the recent Battlestar Galactica mini-finale would have been good, if not for the following:
“With very few alterations, many of Battlestar Galactica’s
episodes during the second half of its second season and the entirety
of its third season could be jettisoned, and the result would not only
make sense as a story, but would probably be tighter and more compelling.”
Continue reading
"Spoilers: Galactica Mini-Finale"
Tags: Galactica , robots , tv
Death Race 2000 Remake
Well, it’s not Robosaurus rampaging through Burning Man and it doesn’t have David Carradine assassinating the man, but Death Race does have modified mustangs. Pictures and a trailer from the upcoming Death Race. (via io9)
Continue reading
"Death Race 2000 Remake"
Tags: cars , David Carradine , dinosaurs , dystopia , end times , movies , robosaurus , robots , trailers , video
A CGI Godzilla that doesn’t suck
CGI almost catches up with the awesomeness of Gojira. And check out the Ifukube score, too.
Continue reading
"A CGI Godzilla that doesn't suck"
Tags: Akira Ifukube , animation , CG , Godzilla , Japan , kaiju , movies , soundtracks , special effects , video
Wil Used to be with Starfleet
“Wesley stands up straight, deepens his voice, and declares, ‘I’m with Starfleet. We don’t lie.’
Ah, Wesley may be able to save the ship, but he sure can’t save bad dialogue.”
Wil Wheaton reviews Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. (thanks, paulie!) Continue reading
"Wil Used to be with Starfleet"
Tags: science fiction , Star Trek , tv
Hong Kong Fisticuffs
Over at Kung Fu Fridays, Colin has scans of a 1973 manhua that sure looks like Tony Wong’s Little Rascals / Siu Lau Man. (Prepare for a disturbing blend of Triad violence and manga-influenced figures). And if that’s not enough 1973 Hong Kong fisticuffs for you, he’s got a short of fighting Bruce Lee and Shih Kien (Shek Kin) action figures. Continue reading
"Hong Kong Fisticuffs"
Tags: 1970s , action , blood , Bruce Lee , comics , comics history , gangsters , Hong Kong , kung fu , manhua , martial arts , movies , scans , Shih Kien , Tony Wong Yuk-Long , toys , Triads
Good, Weird, no Bad
Tears of the Black Tiger, Sukiyaki Western Django and now Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad and the Weird, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung. Asian Westerns are where it’s at.
Continue reading
"Good, Weird, no Bad"
Tags: Japan , Jung Woo-sung , Kim Ji-woon , Lee Byung-hun , Manchuria , movies , Song Kang-ho , South Korea , Takashi Miike , Thailand , trailers , video , Westerns , Wisit Sasanatieng
Dragon Emperor looks better than Crystal Skulls
Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, Wu Jing, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang and… Brendan Fraser? That’s right, it’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Who knew the Qin Emperor was a shapeshifter? (via Kaiju Shakedown)
Continue reading
"Dragon Emperor looks better than Crystal Skulls"
Tags: 1940s , action , adventure , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , Brendan Fraser , China , dragons , Jet Li , martial arts , Michelle Yeoh , movies , mummies , Qin Shi Huang , shapeshifters , spies , trailers , video , wuxia
Grant Morrison Sighted Off The Coast of Japan
Grant Morrison’s character designs for 2 Japanese superhero teams, “Big Science Action” and “Super Young Team,” are up at Scans Daily. “Most Excellent Super What?” and “Morrison, what the hell?” ask stunned manga, anime and tokusatsu fans.
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"Grant Morrison Sighted Off The Coast of Japan"
Tags: anime , comics , fandom , Grant Morrison , Japan , manga , racism , scans , sexism , superheroes
Sebastian Faulk’s License to Kill
Chandler had his Poodle Springs. Ian Fleming might have his Devil May Care. Sebastian Faulk takes up James Bond on his centenary. Excerpt here.
Continue reading
"Sebastian Faulk's License to Kill"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , Cold War , Ian Fleming , Raymond Chandler , replicants , Sebastian Faulk , spies , stealth , UK
Boring or Brilliant Out of Context? You Decide…
In the Youtube age, you can see all of the cutscenes from the entire Metal Gear Solid series, just to prep for excessively long cutscenes in the upcoming 4th title. Continue reading
"Boring or Brilliant Out of Context? You Decide..."
Derived from Indigo Prophecy
Step 3 of “How to Write Your Videogame Plot” is apparently: “Eat peyote”! Derived from Indigo Prophecy - the four pages of spoilers are outrageous too. Continue reading
"Derived from Indigo Prophecy"
Tags: games , Indigo Prophecy , narrative
Ants Attack Electrical Equipment!
No it’s not a science-fiction plot. Crazy Rasperry Ants are invading Houston, Texas and they are attracted to electronics. Continue reading
"Ants Attack Electrical Equipment!"
Tags: ants , insects , invasion , science
Tabletop Gaming
From the personal experience - “a person who knows you, and your gaming group well, is carefully structuring an experience for your pleasure” - to the impersonal: “there are no in-game rewards, in an MMO, for anything other than the level grind.” Wouldn’t you prefer the first?
And this is a good example: “Awesome Women Kicking Ass”
Continue reading
"Tabletop Gaming"
Hit A With Yr Fist!
NES controller coffee table. It works, holds snacks and makes players feel tiny. (Thanks, Mr. Dave!) Continue reading
"Hit A With Yr Fist!"
Tags: art , games , Mario , NES , technology
“Science Fiction Serving the National Interest”
“Science Fiction Serving the National Interest.” I don’t even know what to say about the crazy reported here in National Defense Magazine. (via Fusion Dispatches)
Continue reading
""Science Fiction Serving the National Interest""
Tags: Larry Niven , science , science fiction
Evil, but so soft…
Pet the horror at the Chenille Beasts Gallery. (Thanks, spookymonkey!)
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"Evil, but so soft..."
Tags: art , craftiness , Cthulhu , demons , horror , Lovecraft , monsters , photography , replicants , toys , undead
“Weapon of Mass Defacement”
The Graffiti Research Lab reports on Dutch taggers and their RV-mounted tagging laser. And if you’re interested, there’s open source code. Continue reading
""Weapon of Mass Defacement""
Tags: art , laser , mad science , Netherlands , technology , video
Invisibility, Flight and Ira Glass
I admit it. I’m a sucker for This American Life. The second season of their television is starting, so in celebration here’s a link to a 2006 radio show with a theme worthy of the Gutter: “Superpowers.” (And here’s a preview of season 2).
Continue reading
"Invisibility, Flight and Ira Glass"
Tags: audio , Ira Glass , podcasts , radio , superpowers , This American Life , tv
“Guillermo del Toro to make Hobbit films: bleah!”
Andrew O’Hehir is here to tell you that Guillermo del Toro making The Hobbit—and a sequel to The Hobbit—for Peter Jackson is not a good idea.
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""Guillermo del Toro to make Hobbit films: bleah!""
Tags: capitalism , Guillermo del Toro , LOTR , movies , Peter Jackson , The Hobbit , Tolkien
Infocom’s Lost Drive
A blogger got ahold of a network drive from Infocom circa 1989, which has the behind-the-scenes story — and a tiny playable demo — of the failed sequel to the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Universe, reconstructed from emails and other digital artefacts. Most of the text-game greats chime in in the comments.
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"Infocom's Lost Drive"
Tags: Douglas Adams , games , infocom , text adventure
Interview with Jackie Chan and Jet Li
Speaking of Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are interviewed together at wu-jing.org. Continue reading
"Interview with Jackie Chan and Jet Li"
Tags: China , fantasy , Hong Kong , interviews , Jackie Chan , Jet Li , kung fu , martial arts , movies , wuxia
Revenge of the Lady Fighter
With the ladies of Forbidden Kingdom looking a little… lackluster, here’s some of the original white-haired bride, Brigitte Lin (Bride with White Hair and The East Is Red) and the original Golden Swallow, Cheng Pei-Pei (Come Drink With Me and The Lady Hermit). And here’s some Angela Mao just for the hell of it. (Scroll down). Continue reading
"Revenge of the Lady Fighter"
Tags: action , Angela Mao , Brigitte Lin , Cheng Pei-Pei , China , Ching Siu-Tung , fantasy , Golden Swallow , hapkido , Ho Meng-Hua , Hong Kong , Jin Yong , King Hu , kung fu , martial arts , movies , Raymond Lee , Ronnie Yu , Shaw Bros. , taekwondo , the ladies , trailers , video , wuxia
No More Screaming
Hammer Studios and Corman horror star, Hazel Court, died Wednesday. She starred with icons like Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Peter Lorre—and even Patrick McGoohan (Danger Man) and Rock Hudson on television.
Continue reading
"No More Screaming"
Tags: Christopher Lee , Hammer , Hazel Court , horror , movies , Patrick McGoohan , Peter Cushing , Peter Lorre , RIP , Rock Hudson , Roger Corman , science fiction , spies , the ladies , tv , UK , Vincent Price
Who Wouldn’t Elope With Chewbacca?
The first paragraph alone does it for me in Heather Havrilevsky’s reviews of Friday Night Lights and the new reality-dance show, Step It Up and Dance: “When my sister and I were kids, we made our Star Wars action figures go
on dates with each other. First we’d take turns picking our favorite
action figures, then we’d set up “apartments” for each of them. (We
knew from “Three’s Company” that single people always lived in
apartments.)” Continue reading
"Who Wouldn't Elope With Chewbacca?"
Tags: Chewbacca , musicals , romance , Star Wars , tv
You want comics? We got comics. Like, all of them.
Curious what the cover of Doom Patrol #89 (August, 1964, first appearance of The Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man) looks like? Or any other comic, for that matter? Check out the bottomless treasure trove that is the Grand Comic Book Database, home to over 150,000 scanned comic book covers and counting. Continue reading
"You want comics? We got comics. Like, all of them."
Tags: comics , covers , database , Doom Patrol , scans
Red Shirt Deaths
Ah, the internet, what we would do without distractions like Analytics According to Captain Kirk: “When Captain Kirk meets an alien woman and “makes contact” the survival rate of the red-shirted crewmen increases by 84%.” Continue reading
"Red Shirt Deaths"
Tags: Star Trek
44 YEARS OF MAD FOLD-INS
This fascinating NY Times interview with Mad Magazine artist Al Jaffee reveals the origin of
the Mad Fold-In and the process Jaffee has used to create every one since 1964
(he still doesn’t use a computer). It also includes a great slideshow of
Fold-Ins past and present. What, me hyperlink? Continue reading
"44 YEARS OF MAD FOLD-INS"
Tags: Al Jaffee , cartooning , comics , Mad Magazine , New York Times
Bollywood 2050
Love Story 2050. It’s Bollywood. There are robots. Dance, robot, dance! (via Kaiju Shakedown, again).
Continue reading
"Bollywood 2050"
Tags: Bollywood , Mumbai , music , musicals , robots , romance , science fiction
Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula
The year is 1890. The city, London. Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula: Is there anything more to say? (Oh, yeah, it’s a radio drama). Continue reading
"Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula"
Tags: audio , BBC , Bram Stoker , detectives , Dracula , horror , London , mysteries , Nineteenth Century , radio , Scotland Yard , Sherlock Holmes , UK , vampires , versus
Lulu Eightball
I picked up Emily Flake’s Lulu Eightball collection at the Buffalo Small Press Fair and I couldn’t be happier. Desperate millipedes, hammers with heft and a slanty take on our friend the observational humor comic strip. The weekly strips are here and here. Her illustration work is nice, too. Continue reading
"Lulu Eightball"
Tags: Baltimore , Buffalo , comics , Emily Flake , strips
Love and Change-bots
Comic artist Jeffrey Brown’s badly cropped on SexTV, but the interview is still worth seeing. And while we’re at it, see him transform like an Incredible Change-bot in a Washington Post interview at the 2007 Small Press Book Expo.
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"Love and Change-bots"
Tags: comics , Jeffrey Brown , robots , sex
“Secret Skin: An essay in unitard theory”
Michael Chabon traces the secret origins of the superhero costume in Secret Skin: An essay in unitard theory, in which he proposes “a fundamental truth: like the being who wears it, the superhero costume is, by definition, an impossible object. It cannot exist.” Continue reading
""Secret Skin: An essay in unitard theory""
Tags: comics , Jack Kirby , Michael Chabon , New Yorker , spandex , Superman
Momotaro Kicks Up Against Mickey
Mickey Mouse attacks and Japanese characters fight back. But in this cartoon, Momotaro might be using the master’s tools to tear down the master’s house. (Thanks, Heather!) Continue reading
"Momotaro Kicks Up Against Mickey"
Tags: animation , Disney , Japan , propaganda , video
“Violence without pretence, an endless hobgoblin holocaust”
Erik Sofge writes on roleplaying games and Gary Gygax’s legacy: “There is a way to wring real creativity, and possibly even artistic
merit, from this bizarre medium—and it has nothing to do with Gygax and
his tradition of sociopathic storytelling.” (Moira Redmond reports on the resulting fray). Continue reading
""Violence without pretence, an endless hobgoblin holocaust""
Tags: dice , fandom , games , Gary Gygax , geekery , RPGs
Harlan Ellison’s a funny, weird old guy
“I look at it as a movie about this funny, weird old
guy. And I think, ‘That’s a funny, weird old guy. I’d love to know him.
He’s really funny.’
Harlan Ellison talks about Dreams With Sharp Teeth, a new documentary about him. (Salon article, here)
Continue reading
"Harlan Ellison's a funny, weird old guy"
Tags: audio , biography , documentaries , Harlan Ellison , movies , podcasts , science fiction
JCVD is Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme is Jean-Claude Van Damme in JCVD. Watch the trailer. Seriously. Continue reading
"JCVD is Jean-Claude Van Damme"
Tags: action , Belgium , biography , heists , Jean-Claude Van Damme , Mabrouk el Mechri , martial arts , metafiction , movies , satire , trailers , video
World Domination is Fun
Dr. Steel builds the robots, creates propaganda and issues manifestos. Plus, he has a band. Continue reading
"World Domination is Fun"
Tags: art , audio , mad science , madness , music , nerdcore , propaganda , robots , supervillainy , video , world domination
Shutting Down the Obvious
Rudy Rucker, on his excellent photoblog / scifi-stream- of-consciousness, talks about virtual reality (with responses): “My whole point is to wake people up to the fact that the physical, daily world is inconceivably rich.” Continue reading
"Shutting Down the Obvious"
Tags: art , photography , Rudy Rucker , science fiction , virtual reality
“I’m a sucker for a girl with a metallic lower jaw”
Metal mandibles and elongating limbs—it’s the Top Ten Sexiest Comic Book Robots! (by Amazing Challengers of Unknown Mystery’s Evan Munday)
Continue reading
""I'm a sucker for a girl with a metallic lower jaw""
Tags: lists , robots , sex
Crochet Hypberbolics and the Nubbly Universe
At The Institute for Figuring, Dr. Donna Taimina brings “abstract mathematics into the realm of tactile experience” with her crocheted models of hyperbolic space. (Model galleries are along the sidebar). Continue reading
"Crochet Hypberbolics and the Nubbly Universe"
Tags: art , craftiness , science , space
Battlefield Asia
Looking for movies that combine big battles with the pain of Chinese history? How about: The Warlords, with Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro; the rape-free Mongol, with Tadanobu Asano as Temujin/Genghis Khan; An Empress and the Warriors, with Donnie Yen, Kelly Chen and Leon Lai; and after being roughed up by Hollywood John Woo returns like a dove to its roost with, The Battle of Red Cliff, starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Zhang Fengyi. (watch out—horse-tripping and one shirt ripping). Continue reading
"Battlefield Asia"
Tags: action , Andrew Lau , China , Donnie Yen , epics , Genghis Khan , Hong Kong , Japan , Jet Li , John Woo , Kelly Chen , Leon Lai , martial arts , military , Mongolia , Mongols , movies , Russia , Sergei Bodrov , Tadanobu Asano , Takeshi Kaneshiro , Tony Ching Siu-Tung , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , trailers , video , war , Yip Wai-Man , Zhang Fengyi
The Pathos of Dave Sim
Tired Fairy discusses why she doesn’t want to talk with Dave Sim about his gender beliefs at Sequential Tart. And it’s not just that he’s kind of, well, sad. Continue reading
"The Pathos of Dave Sim"
Tags: comics , sexism
Appropriate Technology for Making Monsters
In this clip seems like Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze have been up to awesome with their film adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are. Continue reading
"Appropriate Technology for Making Monsters"
Tags: adaptation , animation , children , Dave Eggars , Maurice Sendak , monsters , movies , picture books , puppetry , Spike Jonze , suitmation , trailers , video , YA
Difendi!
Looks like Italian neo-Fascist political party Alleanza Nazionale like them some 300. The candidate, Andrea De Priamo, has taken it off his site. (thanks, Sparky!)
Continue reading
"Difendi!"
Tags: 300 , comics , fascism , Frank Miller , Italy , movies , propaganda , Sparta
Cuz No One Talks About It
Money! Scalzi gives advice, stirs up the pot: “when it comes to money — and specifically their own money — writers have as much sense as chimps on crack.” Continue reading
"Cuz No One Talks About It"
Tags: capitalism , writing
The Mainstream Notices Us, Head Explodes
Forbes gets worried - World of Warcraft will create “offline political forces”. Charles Stross’ Halting State has a lot to say about this stuff, including a fun, opposing theory: we’ve never been contacted by aliens because they’re probably too addicted to some advanced MMO game to worry about reality anymore! Continue reading
"The Mainstream Notices Us, Head Explodes"
Tags: Azeroth , criticism , games , MMOs
A Nasty Little Piece of Work, Just Perfect in Fact
It’s a game called “Blood Car! 2000! Delux!” and it’s just about everything the title says it is. Continue reading
"A Nasty Little Piece of Work, Just Perfect in Fact"
Tags: blood , cars , games
Sympathy for the Yellow Peril
In this crazy racist 1930s Mystery Men comic, Chen Chang “embarks on a trail gutted with blood and sudden, horrible death, as he carries on his vendetta against the white race,” and dragon lady River Lily and I end up shouting, “Get him Black Lightning! Tramp down the white man!” (via Kaiju Shakedown).
Continue reading
"Sympathy for the Yellow Peril"
Tags: comics , dragon lady , racism , scans , yellow peril
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am that deranged millionaire.”
In 2006 John Hodgman reported a deranged millionaire had challenged They Might Be Giants to create a song for every venue they played on their tour, or lose their magical song-writing talisman forever. See the deranged millionaire and hear the songs for yourself. You can also see animated videos of TMBG songs by Brendon Small, LAIKA, Divya Srinivasan and John Linnell. Continue reading
""Ladies and gentlemen, I am that deranged millionaire.""
Tags: animation , Brendon Small , Divya Srinivasan , John Hodgman , John Linnell , LAIKA , madness , music , nerdcore , They Might Be Giants , video
It’s the only way to resolve differences.
The Thing and the Hulk clobber and smash each other in mixed media. It’s the only way to resolve differences. (Make sure to follow the link through to the Stan Lee Excelsior Exhibit entries).
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"It's the only way to resolve differences."
Tags: art , comics , Fantastic Four , Marvel , smash , Stan Lee , superheroes , the Hulk , the Thing , versus
Everybody Freeze
Hit by a freeze ray? Lost in time? It’s Frozen Grand Central. Continue reading
"Everybody Freeze"
Tags: art , ninjas , spies
Sammo Hung and Wu Jing, Together Again
With Wu Jing, Simon Yam and Sammo Hung all grim, Fatal Move looks like an SPL reunion, with Johnnie To regulars like Wong Tin-lam and Lam Suet dropping by. Scroll down a bit for the trailer. Does Donnie feel left out? Continue reading
"Sammo Hung and Wu Jing, Together Again"
Tags: action , China , Dennis Law , Donnie Yen , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , kung fu , Lam Suet , martial arts , movies , Sammo Hung , Simon Yam , trailers , Triads , video , Wilson Yip , Wong Tin-Lam , Wu Jing
The Gill-Man in Love
Is it the human or the not-human that terrifies people in The Creature from the Black Lagoon? Frank Wu writes about the Gill-Man, the Uncanny Valley and “the human and inhuman at war within ourselves.” (Thanks, Chuck!) Continue reading
"The Gill-Man in Love"
Tags: Frank Wu , Gill-man , horror , monsters , romance , science fiction , The Creature from the Black Lagoon , uncanny valley , underwater
You Suck at Photoshop #4: Paths and Masks
“You Suck at Photoshop”—depressing, educational and hilarious. Here’s #4 via Boing Boing ‘cause the comments on it at YouTube are too sexist for me. Continue reading
"You Suck at Photoshop #4: Paths and Masks"
Tags: despair , geekery , photoshop , technology
Born to Front
Born to front and without a syllabus, MC Frontalot rhymes over a Messiaz’ beat at G4’s Freestyle 101. (Thanks, Ms. Paula!) Continue reading
"Born to Front"
Tags: hip hop , MC Frontalot , music , nerdcore , video
North Korea’s PEE Ensemble
Behold North Korea’s Ponchobo Electronic Ensemble:
“The musical style is a lunatic mash-up of oompah-band beer garden
beats, operatic vocals cranked up like power drills and buggy, sparking
electronic organs squeezed and tortured until they short circuit in a
sonic eruption of bleeps and blarts. Every note is clearly played by
people who’ve not only received the Manchurian treatment but are also
bombed out of their minds on a powerful pharmaceutical cocktail of
super-strength Prozac and military-grade speed.”
Continue reading
"North Korea's PEE Ensemble"
Tags: music , North Korea
Andy Lau Ain’t Nothing to Mess With
Don’t let his Cantonese popsongs and slick style fool you—Andy Lau ain’t nothing to mess with. Continue reading
"Andy Lau Ain't Nothing to Mess With"
Tags: fandom , Hong Kong
Ask Golden Age Wonder Woman
“Golden Age Wonder Woman is a Doctor of Philosophy, professional advice columnist, and Super-Heroine of note. Her column, ‘Ask Golden Age Wonder Woman’ is syndicated in over 350 newspapers nationwide.” Read her and wonder at Again With The Comics. Continue reading
"Ask Golden Age Wonder Woman"
Tags: Amazons , bondage , superheroes , Wonder Woman
New Elric Omnibus
A new omnibus printing of Michael Moorcock’s Elric is being released by Del Rey in February 2008 - finally presenting these stories in the order they were originally written. Continue reading
"New Elric Omnibus"
Tags: albinism , Elric , Michael Moorcock , soul-sucking swords
Ballooneering with Shaun Tan
Thought Balloonists, the fancy new comics criticism blog, takes off with a discussion of Shaun Tan’s The Arrival, a heartbreakingly beautiful picture book. Continue reading
"Ballooneering with Shaun Tan"
Tags: art , comics , picture books , Shaun Tan , YA
SimLibrary
In the history of games that train you for the real world, have we ever seen one about… libraries?! Continue reading
"SimLibrary"
Tags: games , libraries , reality , simulation , the real world
Indie Games Smorgasbord
Jayisgames has the best indie games of 2007, with some instant classics like The Tall Stump and Grow Island on the list. And Tales of the Rampant Coyote gets worried about the addictive nature of Flash Element TD2.
Continue reading
"Indie Games Smorgasbord"
Tags: games , indie , lists
Vampira Dies
Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira, died January 10th. She was the first horror televistion host, a master of the corset, a friend of James Dean and featured in Plan 9 from Outer Space. Learn more about her here.
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"Vampira Dies"
Tags: Ed Wood , Finland , horror , invasion , James Dean , movies , RIP , space , the ladies , tv , undead , Vampira , vampires
More Goddamn Batman (and Robin, Age 12)
Confined Space collects a chain of fan art from the “Goddamn Batman” meme. My favorite: Law and Order: Goddamn Batman. Protoclown read All-Star Batman and Robin—the start of the damned and batty—so you wouldn’t have to. Continue reading
"More Goddamn Batman (and Robin, Age 12)"
Tags: all star batman , art , Batman , fandom , Frank Miller , geekery , memes , superheroes
All About Gu Long
It’s all about ladies, booze and mysteries for Gu Long and his most famous character, the Bondesque swordsman detective, Chu Liu-xiang. “When you hear ‘martial arts novels,’ you can think of several famous
writers of Chinese literature. But when you hear ‘mystery martial arts
novels,’ only one name can pop in your mind: Gu Long.”
Continue reading
"All About Gu Long"
Tags: action , Chor Yuen , Chu Liu-Xiang , Chu Yuan , detectives , fantasy , Gu Long , martial arts , movies , mysteries , Shaw Bros. , Ti Lung , wuxia
Waiting for the Goddamn Batman to get the Goddamn Joke
Though he’s not much for superhero comics, Marc Sobel gets the joke that inspired so much “righteous, nerd rage”:
“Ultimately, the Joker’s rebirth is a physical manifestation of the
creative process… accompanied by a profound sense of disillusionment that none of it
matters, for the cycle will begin anew before too long…. The ultimate irony, of course, is that Batman has not been
granted such self-awareness, and, as the Joker points out in his
endless frustration, all he wants is for “the goddamn Batman to finally
get the goddamn joke.’” Continue reading
"Waiting for the Goddamn Batman to get the Goddamn Joke"
Tags: Batman , comics , Grant Morrison , Joker , superheroes , supervillainy
Birth of an Internet Meme
Good old comics controversy: Spider-Man gets rebooted (back to 1971!), and the response: “It’s magic, we don’t have to explain it!” You can already buy the t-shirt. Continue reading
"Birth of an Internet Meme"
Tags: comics , demons , magic , Marvel , memes , Spider-Man , superheroes
My Mousefinger’s Worn Out
A minimal, clever, innovative videogame… is it redundant to mention it’s Japanese? All hail Cursor*10! Continue reading
"My Mousefinger's Worn Out"
Tags: games , indie , Japan , simplicity
Early implanters rejoice!
Nextgen humans Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders have launched a terrific new sci-fi blog for Gawker called io9, which has a great origin story: “io9s were marketed as cheap time machines in the 2070s. They were
actually just low-grade input/output devices for the brain that tuned
tachyon waves and gave users vivid images of possible futures. The
things were so addictive, and drove so many people insane, that io9s
were eventually outlawed.” Continue reading
"Early implanters rejoice!"
Tags: implants , origins , science fiction , time travel
Animating Louis Koo’s Inner World
Here’s a sample of the fine animation in Sylvia Chang’s new Triad drama, Run Papa Run. The link slides straight into an English-subtitled trailer. (Thanks again to Kaiju Shakedown).
Continue reading
"Animating Louis Koo's Inner World"
Tags: animation , China , guns , Hong Kong , Louis Koo , movies , Sylvia Chang , trailers , Triads , video
Year End at Kaiju Shakedown
Hong Kong was winner of the year and Thailand was loser of the year over at Kaiju Shakedown. But in a world with Johnnie To in it, we’re all winners.
Continue reading
"Year End at Kaiju Shakedown"
Tags: Andrew Lau , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , detectives , heists , Herman Yau , Hong Kong , horror , Jet Li , Johnnie To , Lau Ching-Wan , martial arts , movies , romance , science fiction , Simon Yam , Stephen Chow , Sylvia Chang , Takeshi Kaneshiro , Thailand , thieves , Tony Leung Ka-Fai , war
Superhero Make-Over
Sure, Project: Rooftop is intended to help “improve costume design in the industry,” but in the recent Wonder Woman Wardrobe War, all I care about is the invisible pony. (Thanks, Sparky!)
Continue reading
"Superhero Make-Over"
Tags: comics , ponies , scans , superheroes , Wonder Woman
5 minutes of Cloverfield (and Bruce Campbell)
Twitch has 5 minutes of Cloverfield, the kaiju in New York movie that seems more like The Host than any monster movie featuring Minilla. There’s a plug in that one. And they have a trailer for the much sillier My Name Is Bruce, a movie where fans convince Bruce Campbell to fight an Ancient Evil because he’s, well, Bruce Campbell. Continue reading
"5 minutes of Cloverfield (and Bruce Campbell)"
Tags: biography , Bong Joon-ho , Bruce Campbell , kaiju , metafiction , Minilla , movies , New York City , parody , trailers , video
Speaking of Jonathan Coulton…
What would we all be without free stuff on the internet? There’s still a couple weeks to give financial support to the Creative Commons for 2007. Sure, they didn’t bring us a skateboarding dog or that dramatic squirrel, but there’s still Jim Munroe’s movie, Infest Wisely, and Jonathan Coulton.
Continue reading
"Speaking of Jonathan Coulton..."
Tags: capitalism , creative commons , Cultural Gutter , dystopia , indie , internet , Jim Munroe , Jonathan Coulton , movies , music , nerdcore
We’re not unreasonable, I mean, no one’s going to eat your eyes
Re: your brains, by sf songster Jonathan Coulton, has been having its way with my headmeat like — well — the zombie who sings it would like to. Despite zombie fatigue, the corporate culture stuff is sharp. Continue reading
"We're not unreasonable, I mean, no one's going to eat your eyes"
Tags: audio , capitalism , horror , Jonathan Coulton , music , nerdcore , zombie fatigue , zombies
Onomatoplaya
How many games can you play while doing the activity depicted? Margaret Robertson comes up with a grand total of… Chocolate Castle! Continue reading
"Onomatoplaya"
Tags: games , metafiction , reality , the real world
The Golden Compass: Mechanized Magic
Stephanie Zacharek reviews The Golden Compass:
“Most of what’s magical about Pullman’s novel has been mechanized,
obviously at great expense: It must cost a heap of dough to make animal
figures look like they’re talking, and there’s barely an instant in The Golden Compass when you can’t hear the money gears turning.” Continue reading
"The Golden Compass: Mechanized Magic"
Tags: capitalism , magic , movies , multiverse , Philip Pullman
Fossilized Dino Discovered
Speaking of dinosaurs, paleontologists have discovered a dinosaur with nearly intact skin. Preliminary analysis indicates that the hadrosaur was likely striped and its butt was 25% larger than previously thought, which might mean that Godzilla’s butt is 25% more realistic than previously thought. Continue reading
"Fossilized Dino Discovered"
Tags: dinosaurs , Godzilla , realism , science
Tips
Making an indie videogame? Some advice about graphics, starting with this basic tip:
”If you are a programmer and can only make squares, make a game that uses squares as graphics. It worked for
Tetris and it can work for you.” Continue reading
"Tips"
Tags: design , games , graphics
Giant Critters, So Tasty!
“In early ’90s Japan, mobs of hungry primeval men hunted gigantic
prehistoric creatures in a series of fanciful ‘Cup Noodle’ commercials
featuring stop-motion animation by Kim Blanchette.” And Pink Tentacle has video! Continue reading
"Giant Critters, So Tasty!"
Tags: animals , animation , capitalism , giant animals , Harryhausen , Kim Blanchette , stop-motion , video
Repent for Free!
Read 61 pages of post-Rapture Chicago with a Raven and a Mummy from Therefore, Repent!, a graphic novel written by the Gutter’s founding editor and former Evil Overlord, Jim Munroe. Continue reading
"Repent for Free!"
Tags: angels , animals , Chicago , comics , Cultural Gutter , demons , dogs , dystopia , end times , indie , Jim Munroe , Midwest , mummies , Rapture , religion , Salgood Sam , scans , science fiction
Going All the Way with Beowulf
Are you geeky? Geeky enough to enjoy Beowulf in any form? Geeky enough to hear it recited in Old English? Geeky enough to watch Benjamin Bagby accompany his recitation with the Anglo-Saxon lyre? Dang, I’m impressed! Thanks to Greg Kamiya and his Salon essay, Beowulf vs. The Lord of the Rings. Kamiya writes, “There’s no real reason to take on Beowulf unless you want to go all the way.” Continue reading
"Going All the Way with Beowulf"
Tags: art , Beowulf , LOTR , music , Tolkien , video
Who Is The Superest?
There can only be one Superest: “Player 1 draws a character with a power. Player 2 then draws a
character whose power cancels the power of that previous character.
Repeat.” Continue reading
"Who Is The Superest?"
Tags: art , superheroes
Cosmonauts Love It
Listen and learn all about Vyachaslav Mescherin’s Soviet E-Z listening, the first music transmitted from orbit—by Sputnik. Cosmonauts love electro-musical instruments. Scroll down to the bottom of the Third Coast Festival’s 2004 archive.
Continue reading
"Cosmonauts Love It"
Tags: audio , cosmonauts , music , podcasts , radio , Russia , Soviet , Sputnik
Mazen Kerbaj
French comics publisher L’Association is showing some of Mazen Kerbaj’s drawings and that’s a good excuse to put up a link for them. Kerbaj’s blog, Kerblog, is here.
Continue reading
"Mazen Kerbaj"
Tags: art , Beirut , comics , France , jazz , L'Association , Lebanon , Mazen Kerbaj , music , war
Inside Science Monster
Science Monster might not be pretty, but with monsters, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Two things are inside Science Monster that I really, really like: old pulps periodicals and comics and old audio like science fiction radio serials and the Peanuts, aka, the foot tall fairies from the Mothra movies. Continue reading
"Inside Science Monster"
Tags: audio , comics , kaiju , Mothra , music , pulp , radio , scans
Try Autonibble
“You awaken in a large complex, slightly disoriented. Glowing dots hover mouth level near you in every direction. Off in the distance you hear the faint howling of what you can only imagine must be some sort of ghost or several ghosts.”
It’s the Pac-Man text adventure! Continue reading
"Try Autonibble"
Tags: infocom , Pac-Man
Cartoon Osteology
Peer deep inside the anatomy of cartoon characters, right to the bone, with Dia de los Muertos Looney Toons at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Michael Paulus’ osteological Hello Kitty and Peanuts drawings and Hyungkoo Lee’s rascally, Animatus sculpture. (via Boing Boing)
Continue reading
"Cartoon Osteology"
Tags: animation , art , California , cartoons , Dia de los Muertos , Los Angeles , science
Collect’em All, Kill’em All
Ever feel kind of sick reflecting on a game you enjoy? Flak Magazine’s James Norton does some soul-searching over Adult Swim’s almost Peckinpah flash game, Viva Caligula!
“You personify the mad emperor Caligula as he goes on a neighborhood - to - neighborhood killing spree through Rome, taking down senators, housewives, gladiators, prostitutes and basically everyone else who crosses his path. And you have fun in the process, at least until your conscience catches up and you feel a bit sick about the scenario you’ve just created.“ Continue reading
"Collect'em All, Kill'em All"
Tags: Ancient World , blood , Caligula , Classical World , games , Rome , Sam Peckinpah , swords and sandals
Nutcracker Suite
Ever wanted a comprehensive collection of comic book “nadshots”? Ah, the good old internet. (Thanks Ezra). Continue reading
"Nutcracker Suite"
Tags: comics , nadshots , scans , slapstick
Nonlinear Theater
Make your own space opera with Nonlinear Theater, the random movie generator at Chinese Jet Pilot. Continue reading
"Nonlinear Theater"
Tags: movies , space , space opera , video
Hip Hop Grue
You are likely to be eaten by a Grue. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Nerdcore hip hop visionary MC Frontalot is on tour and soon to be in the documentary, Nerdcore Rising. Continue reading
"Hip Hop Grue"
Tags: documentaries , games , hip hop , infocom , MC Frontalot , music , nerdcore , video
Robert Jordan Remembered
Some words for Robert Jordan’s passing, and on the series he left unfinished:
“Jordan stretched his ambitious tale even further, to a dozen books, until it was not just a Dark Tower but a literary Tower of Babel possessing all of the attendant frenzied hubris such an analogy demands.” Continue reading
"Robert Jordan Remembered"
Tags: epics , fantasy , RIP , Robert Jordan , sequels
MC Chris Retrospective
With MC Chris (aka, “MC Pee Pants” from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) about to go on tour, now seems like a good time to revisit his Kingdom Hearts/Resident Evil 4 rant. And, well, how about Baddd Spellah’s “Fett’s Vette” remix, too? Continue reading
"MC Chris Retrospective"
Tags: audio , games , hip hop , music , nerdcore , Star Wars , video
Not that Rhino!
Joe Kubert illustrated a preventative maintenance manual for the U.S. military. Click here to maintain your vehicles—and see the art. (Thanks to Sleestak at Lady, That’s My Skull!) Continue reading
"Not that Rhino!"
Deja Vu?
A videogamer visits San Francisco and gets a serious case of deja vu — with pictures. Continue reading
"Deja Vu?"
Tags: California , deja vu , games , realism , reality , San Francisco , tourism
Crime, Punishment and Batman
In reprinting, Batman by Dostoyevsky, Brian Hughes reveals an existential truth: “Everything’s better with Batman.” (Make sure to follow his Kafkaesque Superboy link, too). Continue reading
"Crime, Punishment and Batman"
Tags: Batman , comics , Dostoyevsky , Kafka , R. Sikoryak , scans
Readings
Charles Stross talks Tools of the Trade: Readings: “Rule #1 is that the audience is not your enemy.” Continue reading
"Readings"
Recreating Aliens
Rock, Paper, Shotgun revisits the classic shooter, Aliens vs. Predator, and finds one moment to match the Aliens movie:
“I don’t need to fight the Alien queen, to control a powerloader or take off and nuke the entire site from orbit — I just need to be the last Marine left alive, fighting to the inevitable end.” Continue reading
"Recreating Aliens"
Tags: adaptation , Aliens , games , horror , movies , Predator , re-enactment , science fiction , shooters , survival horror , versus
I only came for the fights.
This is a nice mash up of wuxia, kung fu and (mostly) HK gun action. Continue reading
"I only came for the fights."
Tags: Aaron Kwok , action , Andrew Lau , Ang Lee , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Donnie Yen , Francis Ng , guns , Hong Kong , Jackie Chan , Jet Li , Jin Yong , John Woo , Johnnie To , kung fu , Lam Su-et , Leon Lai , Ma Wing-Shing , Maggie Cheung , Michelle Yeoh , movies , Sammo Hung , Simon Yam , Sun Honglei , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Tsui Hark , video , Wilson Yip , Wong Fei-Hung , Wong Jing , Wu Jing , wuxia , Yuen Woo-Ping , Zhang Ziyi
Peering into a Den of Sin and Depravity
Looking at Thomas Allen’s pulp fiction photographs is like peering through a peephole into a raunchy 3-D diorama of femmes fatales, nameless gunslingers and sailors looking for trouble on a one day pass. Online you don’t even have to drop a nickel, just click on the gallery. (Thanks, Craig!) Continue reading
"Peering into a Den of Sin and Depravity"
Tags: 3D , art , noir , photography , pulp , the ladies , Thomas Allen , Westerns
No Bubba, No She-Vampires, No Nosferatu
Looks like no sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep. Bruce Campbell is bowing out of Bubba Nosferatu to avoid wrecking his friendship with director Don Coscarelli. Damn it, I was looking forward to Paul Giamatti’s Col. Tom Parker, too. (Thanks, Colin!) Continue reading
"No Bubba, No She-Vampires, No Nosferatu"
Tags: Bruce Campbell , Don Coscarelli , Elvis , horror , Joe Lansdale , movies , mummies , Paul Giamatti , sequels , vampires
Mileage may vary.
The “When Musicians Play Interactive Fiction” article on Grand Text Auto made me smile, as did Ryan North’s new IF inspired shirt, but hey, I’m a child of Infocom. Continue reading
"Mileage may vary."
Tags: games , infocom , music
Getting the Damn Book to Work
Trouble with your Bookes? Watch medieval technical support—now with English subtitles! Just ignore the clip’s laugh track. Continue reading
"Getting the Damn Book to Work"
Venture Bros. Duet
Henchmen 21 and 24 offer this beautiful duet on the occasion of the Monarch’s wedding to Dr. Fiancee. Continue reading
"Venture Bros. Duet"
Tags: animation , audio , music , Venture Bros.
Diving in the Cartoon Dump
Cartoon Dump is the best fake children’s show featuring damaged hosts Moodsy the Clinically Depressed Owl (played by Frank Conniff of MST3K and Invader Zim), Compost Brite and Buf Badger and disturbing cartoons curated by Jerry Beck you’ll ever see. Continue reading
"Diving in the Cartoon Dump"
Tags: animation , cartoons , Frank Conniff , Invader Zim , MST3K , video
Retro Maakies
Miss the old Maakies cartoons now that Drinky Crow has his own show? Maakies creator Tony Millionaire can hook you up with a page of aired and unaired cartoons. Continue reading
"Retro Maakies"
Tags: animation , Maakies , Tony Millionaire , video
Boulder POV
Must! Crush! Indiana! Jones! This hilarious game was made in 4 days: “You play as the infamous rolling boulder. Roll over the archeologists and protect the honor of the golden idols of fertility.” Continue reading
"Boulder POV"
Tags: archaeology , games , Indiana Jones , indie , South America
Reverse Engineering William Gibson
William Gibson talks to Salon.com about his new novel, Spook Country, writing the recent past and the dangers of looking into mirrors like Node Magazine, “a doorway into the spooks within Spook Country” including maps, links and reverse engineering. Continue reading
"Reverse Engineering William Gibson"
Tags: cyberpunk , William Gibson
Whedon, at Length
What has Joss Whedon been up to these days? Comic books, development hell (in the movies), and regaining an even keel: “I’ve had more luck than any 10 guys I know. I’ve been able to tell my story more than a few times, and that’s the greatest gift.” Continue reading
"Whedon, at Length"
Tags: Joss Whedon
Darth Vader’s Had Enough
Akjak’s Vader Sessions might be a little old but it’s well before its expiration date. “We’d like to maintain the current level of Black representation on the committee—so, let’s go for a stroll.” Continue reading
"Darth Vader's Had Enough"
Tags: afrofuturism , Darth Vader , James Earl Jones , Star Wars , video
Psychedelic Spies and Swanky Podcasts
Like your spies swank, Sixties and psychedelic? Jiangtou from Spiltpopcorn found The Pschedelic Spy, a 5-part BBC radio drama over at Greylodge, where there’s a whole lotta podcast swank going on. Continue reading
"Psychedelic Spies and Swanky Podcasts"
Tags: audio , BBC , podcasts , psychedelia , radio , spies , stealth , UK
Gojira To Kitty Cats
20 years ago, his job was demolition. Now Godzilla’s a web designer in Portland. This is his story. Or at least the first episode. (Thanks, Flusty!) Continue reading
"Gojira To Kitty Cats"
Tags: animals , cats , design , designers , geekery , Godzilla , Japan , kaiju , monsters , Portland , video
Game Types
A breakdown of different types of games, including:
“Casual: You encounter a ferocious Grickle-Grak. Match three candies of the same type to satisfy his appetite and make him your friend.”
And: “Rhythm Game: You encounter a ferocious Grickle-Grak. Match his mad raps with the right beats to defeat him!” Continue reading
"Game Types"
Tags: casual gaming , Dance Dance Revolution , games , music , rhythm
Slush Survivors
A slush reader profiles 14 opening lines that kept him reading: “I put most stories down after the first page. The writers fail to grab me. You must grab the editor on page one.” Continue reading
"Slush Survivors"
Tags: writing
Hiding Harry Potter
“Do you love Harry Potter, but think you’re too old and too awesome to be seen reading the books?” Pointless Waste of Time.com is here to help with some printready covers of some awesome phallicly-oriented fictional books. Continue reading
"Hiding Harry Potter"
Tags: action , craftiness , fantasy , geekery , gender , Harry Potter , J.K. Rowling
Radio Coolness
TUN3R.com, click on the squares and play or mash up radio stations from all over the world. Continue reading
"Radio Coolness"
Tags: radio
Relative Dimensions
So much geekiness is at your disposal with Jeff Russell’s Starship Dimensions. Now you can conveniently view the relative sizes of Farscape’s Moya, a Vorlon transport from Babylon 5, the Eagle from Space 1999 and a rebel medical frigate from Star Wars. And that’s not even bringing in Star Trek, Serenity or the Tardis. It’s like the promise of the internet fulfilled. (Thanks, miss paula!) Continue reading
"Relative Dimensions"
Tags: Babylon 5 , Dr. Who , Farscape , Firefly , science fiction , space , spaceships , Star Trek , Star Wars
Un-gamelike
The un-game? Real Lives is a simulation of life for most people in the world, kind of like an educational version of The Sims: “In my latest game, however, I’ve been born as a girl to an extremely poor family in rural China, and things are going to be difficult.” Continue reading
"Un-gamelike"
Tags: China , games , Sims , simulation
Fred Saberhagen, RIP
City on Fire and Days of Atonement author Walter Jon Williams has a eulogy up at his blog for Fred Saberhagen, who died a little over a week ago. Williams writes about Saberhagen’s unacknowledged influence on fantasy, science fiction and horror. And he tells a couple of nice stories too. Continue reading
"Fred Saberhagen, RIP"
Tags: Albuquerque , Chicago , dystopia , end times , fantasy , Fred Saberhagen , historicals , horror , pulp , RIP , robots , science fiction , space , urban fantasy , vampires , Walter Jon Williams , war
More Shatner in More Media
ShatnerVision: William Shatner’s videoblog. You know best whether you want to click it or not. Continue reading
"More Shatner in More Media"
Tags: biography , Boston Legal , Shatner , Star Trek , video , vlog
Alter Ego
Curious about the people behind that mech armor and those cute anime ponytails? Here’s a neat slideshow with commentary for Alter Ego: Avatars and Their Creators a photography book of people side-by-side with their avatars. (Thanks to jane at gamegirladvance). Continue reading
"Alter Ego"
Tags: art , games
Magical Girl, Wonder Woman
This pitch by Tin Tin Pantoja reimagining Wonder Woman as a manga-style magical girl is pretty sweet. Continue reading
"Magical Girl, Wonder Woman"
Tags: Amazons , comics , manga , scans , superheroes , the ladies , Tin Tin Pantoja , Wonder Woman
Now even more pissed
It’s been a little over a year since Girls Read Comics And Boy Are They Pissed began and in honor of the occasion, Karen’s committing a whole new pissed analysis to the portrayal of characters who aren’t white, heterosexual, able-bodied or young, starting with Onyx. Continue reading
"Now even more pissed"
Tags: comics
Fandom?
A piece that’s a few years old but still pretty entertaining, The Complex and Terrifying Reality of Star Wars Fandom: “There is a diabolical twist to Star Wars fandom, you see, that defies comprehension, and yet is the life-blood of all Star Wars fans. It is this: Star Wars fans hate Star Wars.” Continue reading
"Fandom?"
Tags: geekery , Star Wars
Pullman Backlash
Some snark, and more importantly, alternate recommendations, in response to the news that Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights is supposedly the best children’s book in the last 70 years. Continue reading
"Pullman Backlash"
Tags: lists , Philip Pullman , YA
Abyssal Creatures
Fascinated by the ocean’s abyss? There’s a gallery of mysterious wonder and beauty—and even more mysterious occasional cuteness—at the website for Claire Nouvian’s new book about abyssal species. Continue reading
"Abyssal Creatures"
Tags: art , Claire Nouvian , photography , science , underwater
Comics Fans, Grow Up!
Over at Salon.com, Douglas Wolk writes a dense article about comics culture, graphic novels, collecting and nostalgia and urges comics fans, whether art or pop, to grow up: “The medium’s new enemies are internal: the much less casual snobbery of the commercial mainstream and the art-comics world toward each other, and cartoonists’ nostalgic yearning for the badness of the bad old days.” Continue reading
"Comics Fans, Grow Up!"
Tags: geekery
Games x2
Gamers With Jobs looks at the pendulum that’s swinging from fantasy back to science fiction: “After ten years of elves and magic, I could use a bit of a change.”
And The Escapist is the new home of Shoot Club! Awesomely nerdy dialogue reproduced faithfully, and some insights too: “There’s nothing like bald math to undermine a game. The scales fall from my eyes and I cannot bear to earn another XP.” Continue reading
"Games x2"
Tags: fandom , fantasy , games , geekery , math , science fiction , shooters
Steam Trek
Steam Trek: The Moving Picture is a silent setting the starship Enterprise in the steam era. In space, no one can hear you—though the music cues are neat. Go here for a full version and here for more information. (Updated and thanks to Hellblazer.net). Continue reading
"Steam Trek"
Tags: music , silents , spaceships , Star Trek , steam punk , video
The Bar is Set High
Do you think someone can come up with 300 brand-new never-before-used gameplay ideas? In 300 days? Sean Howard is giving it a try! Continue reading
"The Bar is Set High"
Tags: games
JLA Songs and Stories
Just hearing the first song on Songs and Stories about the Justice League of America left me stunned. By the second, I decided it might be one of the best things ever with its hammond grooves and swinging Sixties songsters. But the stories are fun too with a villainous Zsa-Zsa Gabor imitator, a lot of plastic and scientific exposition. The only way it might be better is if Ann-Margret played Wonder Woman. Way Out Junk has the whole amazing presumably common domain album here. (Thanks, Ian!) Continue reading
"JLA Songs and Stories"
Tags: audio , comics , JLA , music , scans , superheroes
Kryptonite Discovered!
A mine in Serbia has turned up a sample with the same chemical composition as the fictional Superman-killer. Dr. Stanley was interviewed by BBC News: “Towards the end of my research I searched the web using the mineral’s chemical formula — sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide — and was amazed to discover that same scientific name, written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luthor from a museum in the film Superman Returns.” (Thanks, Mr.Dave!) Continue reading
"Kryptonite Discovered!"
Tags: Kryptonite , science , Superman
Listening to Generation Loss
The first chapter of Elizabeth Hand’s new novel Generation Loss is available as a mp3 at her website. It’s nice listening. She’s got just the right voice for desolate punk noir. (According to Boing Boing, it’s in honor of April 23rd, International Pixel Stained Technopeasant Day) Continue reading
"Listening to Generation Loss"
Tags: audio , Elizabeth Hand , noir , podcasts , science fiction
This Retro Game is Not Retro Enough!
Okay, Doom is now more than a dozen years old, but apparently it’s not old-school enough for some people. Check out this ASCII-only version called DoomRL: “One of the more entertaining things about the game is that, while the graphics are ASCII and the gameplay is turn-based, the sound comes directly from the original game.” Continue reading
"This Retro Game is Not Retro Enough!"
Tags: Doom , games
Busy, Busy HPLHS
The HP Lovecraft Historical Society has been awfully busy since releasing their Call of Chthulhu silent on DVD a couple years ago. Their next film will be The Whisperer in Darkness shot as a 1930s horror movie. If you need some tiding over till then, you can always listen to their At The Mountains of Madness radio drama, their musical There’s a Shoggoth on the Roof or one of their seasonal CDs or just follow the link to Nueva Logia del Tentaculo’s e-zine. Don’t forget the Expressionist wonder of the Call of Chthulhu trailer Continue reading
"Busy, Busy HPLHS"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , audio , Cthulhu , horror , HPLHS , Lovecraft , movies , music , musicals , podcasts , radio , silents , trailers , video
Harryhausen Creatures
Do you miss the days of dynamation? Stopmotion skeletons and Selenites? Mighty Joe Young and the Minoton? Chinese Jet Pilots has a Ray Harryhausen Creature List with clips of nearly every creature Harryhausen made. There’s also a link to some nice stopmotion footage. Check out the beetlemen by the lesser known but still swell, Pete Peterson. Continue reading
"Harryhausen Creatures"
Tags: Ancient World , animals , animation , apes , dinosaurs , giant animals , Greece , Harryhausen , invasion , Mexico , monsters , movies , Persia , Pete Peterson , Sinbad , space , stop-motion , swords and sandals , swords and space , the moon , video
BSG Surprise
Spoiler alert! Abigail Nussbaum talks about the finale of season 3 of Battlestar Galactica: “In fact, I find myself dangerously close to the ‘but it’s not supposed to make any sense’ mindset that keeps people watching 24 and Lost.” Continue reading
"BSG Surprise"
Tags: Galactica , robots , science fiction , tv
Knitted Zombie Doom
Behold the power of a knitted Dawn of the Dead, Tom Savini from Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead (see the flickr slideshow
if you’d prefer) and the knitted Shaun of the Dead all created by cakeyvoice. cakeyvoice sells them, too. (All props to jiang tou at spiltpopcorn for the catch) Continue reading
"Knitted Zombie Doom"
Tags: art , craftiness , geekery , George Romero , horror , photography , replicants , Tom Savini , toys , zombies
Incredibly Cool Control Scheme
Instead of an accelerate key you have to make motor noises into a microphone to make your racing car go? Awesome! Clive Thompson takes a look at some very innovative indie games.
“It’s a delightful way of breaking outside well-worn control techniques — buttons, thumbpad, keyboard. This isn’t a game I’d play for hours, not least because my cubiclemates would think I’ve gone out of my mind. But Skinflake gets monster points for uniqueness here.” Continue reading
"Incredibly Cool Control Scheme"
Tags: technology
The ads in Children of Men
One of the many exceptional things about the movie Children of Men were the media bits and bobs featured in the background, from the ads to the government public service announcements. The audience only got subtle glimpses, but you can check out the assets in detail at the website of the company that created them. (Via) Continue reading
"The ads in Children of Men"
Tags: capitalism , dystopia , movies
Godzilla on the Inside
Darren Naish at Tetrapod Zoology has a fun article up on Godzilla’s biology full of zoological goodness like cartilage pads, bony scutes and “plasma glands.” All the fun of science without the responsibility. Continue reading
"Godzilla on the Inside"
Tags: Godzilla , kaiju , monsters , movies , science
Vampires VS Big Pharma: Who’s More Evil?
On the subject of Kaiju-biology (monster biology), Peter Watts narrates his brilliant slideshow that explains vampires from an evolutionary perspective, and then explains how humans can profit by harnessing their predators. Watts brings his experience as a scientist and his talent as a science-fiction writer to bear in creating this biting satire. Continue reading
"Vampires VS Big Pharma: Who's More Evil?"
Tags: capitalism , horror , pharmaceuticals , satire , science , vampires , versus , video
Game Mega-Wrapup
Game Tunnel, a site for indie games, picks their 10 best for 2006, with a platformer called Gumboy Crazy Adventures taking top honours.
Kottke wrapped up 2006 with a list of addictive little online games, and the new version of Line Rider is mentioned first.
And for those who like big budget PC games, CVG looks at 10 games to watch for in 2007. Continue reading
"Game Mega-Wrapup"
Tales from the Vault!
Yearn for pulp fiction about mounties, possible marital infidelity and Winnipeg’s pock-marked Frankenstein? Tales from the Vault provides Canadian pulp history in French and English with more than just a gallery of covers. That’s right, there are whole issues! Continue reading
"Tales from the Vault!"
Tags: Canada , pulp , scans
On the Road with Scott McCloud
Scott McCloud is doing a crazy road tour for his new book, Making Comics, complete with family blog and entertaining video podcasts (with interviews of writers and artists) done by his kids. Continue reading
"On the Road with Scott McCloud"
Tags: art , biography , comics , family , interviews , parenthood , podcasts , road trips , Scott McCloud , video , writing
Science of The Tick
Cocktail Party Physics takes a look at that awesome cartoon character, The Tick: “And there’s lots of science! Of a particularly twisted nonsensical sort, granted, but science nonetheless.” Continue reading
"Science of The Tick"
Tags: animation , Ben Edlund , comics , physics , science , the Tick
Not Cranking Out the Same Old Thing - Is That Good?
After some quite excellent fantasy novels, Lois McMaster Bujold goes for (mostly) romance: “But with this one, she’s just gone the Lifetime Channel route.” Continue reading
"Not Cranking Out the Same Old Thing - Is That Good?"
Tags: fantasy , Lois McMaster Bujold , romance
It’s Been Done
Is the “thug life” Grand Theft Auto-style now officially overdone? The Dubious Quality blog ponders Saint’s Row, a solid game that feels stale: “For me, though, there was a moment when this genre went from exhilarating to depressing.” Continue reading
"It's Been Done"
Tags: disappointment , games , Grand Theft Auto , Saint's Row
Valve Turns It Up Another Notch
Portal is a thinkin’ man’s first person shooter coming out from Valve, the folks behind Half-Life 2. Talking about HL2, Episode 1 has exceedingly clever in-game commentary that is reviewed and excerpted at Waxy.org. Continue reading
"Valve Turns It Up Another Notch"
Tags: games , Half-Life , Half-Life 2 , Portal , shooters
Hip-Hop Videogame
Is there really such a thing as a hip-hop videogame? Watch this convincing video to judge for yourself. A neat mix of arcade culture and hip-hop.
(Keith Schofield also made a pretty awesome pi-related video). Continue reading
"Hip-Hop Videogame"
Tags: arcade , games , hip hop , music , video
Cultural Appropriation
Naomi Novik makes a stand: “I would rather take my characters to China and Istanbul and Africa and make mistakes and get corrected for them than confine myself to the safe Western European sandbox and pretend the problem doesn’t exist.”
Her next Temeraire book is set in Africa, and she went there to do research. Continue reading
"Cultural Appropriation"
Tags: Africa , alternate history , cultural appropriation , dragons , fantasy , Naomi Novik
Calm Guidelines
How to write a female character in comics in 8 steps, from Girls Read Comics: #6 says ‘“I hit boys!” is not a strong feminist statement.’ Continue reading
"Calm Guidelines"
Inevitable Decay
Season 2 slump? Abigail Nussbaum says Lost and Battlestar Galactica had nowhere to go: “they have a story, and they don’t know how to handle its ending.” Continue reading
"Inevitable Decay"
Tags: Galactica , robots , science fiction , tv
He Can Say This Because He’s a Browncoat
Henry Jenkins says Snakes on a Plane might do better than Serenity, two films with comparable prerelease internet buzz, and thinks Whedon should have broken out of the broadcast media mold: “…if he had gone that route, we would have been able to enjoy many more hours of quality science fiction/western action on television, where it belongs, instead of burning up the whole franchise in two hours of big screen excitement.” Continue reading
"He Can Say This Because He's a Browncoat"
Tags: action , animals , Firefly , Joss Whedon , Samuel L. Jackson , science fiction , tv , Westerns
Black vs White
Incredible. Sony’s ad announcing a new white case for the Playstation Portable looks like it’s inciting a futuristic race war. Continue reading
"Black vs White"
Tags: advertizing , games , Playstation , racism , technology
Half-Life Bonanza
The writers over at Gamers with Jobs look at the new Half-Life 2: Episode One, and provide some too-high praise for the original game — if you want to know why people buy Half-Life games willy-nilly, read this article. Continue reading
"Half-Life Bonanza"
Tags: games , Half-Life , Half-Life 2
Why Care About Indie Games?
Check out Slate’s Why there are no indie video games:“Why should gamers and industry bigwigs care if it’s tough for the little guy? Because back when games were cheaper to make, the independents came up with the ideas that moved the business forward.” Continue reading
"Why Care About Indie Games?"
Live Action Mario
A re-enactment of the first level of Super Mario Bros. at a talent show in Massachusetts. Gotta love the black-suited puppeteers sneaking to and fro! Continue reading
"Live Action Mario"
Tags: games , Mario , Massachusetts , puppetry , re-enactment , video
a game for all ages
Before the press conferences of the Big Three at E3 2006, TIME magazine explains why Nintendo’s strategy for success is “don’t listen to your customers”. And given the anticipation for their revolutionary new console, it seems to be working. Continue reading
"a game for all ages"
Tags: capitalism , console , games , nintendo , Wii
Blow Em Up Real Good
Clive Thompson decides to raise hell: “Let us talk openly about how just totally awesome it is to grab a fully loaded railgun in Quake 4 and wade into a mass of gibbering Strogg aliens and kill and kill and kill again, until there are guts on, like, the ceiling.”
And he has a point: “After all, we now live in an age where the pop-culture mainstream has decided that games are fascinating — but only the ‘complex,’ socially nuanced ones.” Continue reading
"Blow Em Up Real Good"
Turok Comic
A scathing/affectionate look back at some insanely cheesy Turok comics from the 1990s: “They crash-land in the Lost Land, naturally. There the survivors are attacked by dinosaurs, kidnapped by telepathic aliens with sharp sticks, and menaced by a huge shapeshifting monster made of flesh-melting goo. It is awesome.” Continue reading
"Turok Comic"
Tags: adventure , comics , dinosaurs , lost world , monsters , scans , Turok
Best Webcomix Evar
Nicholas Gurewitch’s the Perry Bible Fellowship are my favourite webcomics. They’re hilariously sad, outrageous, subtle, grimly clever and will leave you, as the kids say, ROTFL. Continue reading
"Best Webcomix Evar"
Tags: comics , Nicholas Gurewitch , Perry Bible Fellowship , webcomics
IGF Nominees
Gamespy has a handy overview of the Independent Game Festival (IGF) finalists, along with handy download links: “Here’s the deal: freed from the constraints of big-budgets and risk-averse giant publishing houses, indie games made on shoestring budgets can actually feature original gameplay or bizarre subject matter.” Continue reading
"IGF Nominees"
Gutter Lovers
A spunky site with a similar mandate of taking low culture seriously does romance novel reviews: Come for the Dominican Bitches, Stay for the Man Titty. Continue reading
"Gutter Lovers"
Tags: Cultural Gutter , romance
Beware A Cylon’s Love
For those of you who’ve just seen the stellar Battlestar Galactica morph from a fascinating West-Wing-In-Space premise into something very very different in the recent season finale, check out this heartfelt commentary. Continue reading
"Beware A Cylon's Love"
Tags: Galactica , robots , science fiction , tv
Scott Adams is a Hydra
This interview with Scott Adams, the text adventure pioneer, has him talking about how he uses several keyboards to set up a Hydra in the multiplayer online world of Everquest II. It’s refreshing to hear oldschool game makers talk about their current game obsessions rather than moan about the good ol’ days. Continue reading
"Scott Adams is a Hydra"
Tags: EverQuest , fantasy , games , hydra , infocom , interviews , monsters , Scott Adams , text adventure
SciFi and Nonexistent
A surprisingly lucid and yet still impossibly nerdy look at The Top Ten Sci-FI Films That Never Existed: “There was a movie that perfectly captured the Douglas Adams experience, the combination of bitter sarcasm and sharp imagination, the droll British wit and whale-exploding slapstick that infused his novels. And that movie was Shaun of the Dead.” Continue reading
"SciFi and Nonexistent"
Tags: Douglas Adams , lists , movies , possibility , science fiction , Shaun of the Dead , UK , zombies
Conglomerate News
Book-publishing mega-corps getting on your nerves? They’re changing. Some are selling to European companies: “Publishing, alas for all the authors among us, is a small business in the scheme of things.” And the number-crunching for 2005 says that kid’s books and YA are still the hot thing. Continue reading
"Conglomerate News"
Tags: capitalism , publishing , YA
“They fuckin’ love it all”
Laura Barrett’s Robot Ponies is a haunting song with lyrics that would make Philip K. Dick swoon: “They feed on plastic bags, cut up like lettuce right out of your hand…” Click play to hear it. Continue reading
""They fuckin' love it all""
Tags: audio , Laura Barrett , music , Philip K. Dick , ponies , robots
Games, Games, Games
Clive Thompson writes up 6 indie games, all free (my fav: RSVP), saying “If you really want to see innovation, there’s only one place to go: Off the grid.” Peter Butler lists the 10 best free games at Download.com (my pick is Mono). Also making the rounds: the anti-Kinko’s simulator, Disaffected! (I’m not sure if I want to try their other stuff though). Continue reading
"Games, Games, Games"
Tags: freeware , games , indie , lists , shareware , simulation
Google Robots FAQ
“Google Robots are our human-like machines that walk the earth to record information. They do no harm, and they do not invade your privacy.” This satiric FAQ from 2030 nails the GoogleTone: reassuring, occasionally witty, and not above the occasional exclamation mark. Continue reading
"Google Robots FAQ"
Tags: Google , robots , satire
Haldeman on Syriana
Joe Haldeman on Syriana: “I saw it as a kind of modern interpretation of the James Bond film… I don’t think the viewer is supposed to totally understand it, either; you sort of absorb it.” Continue reading
"Haldeman on Syriana"
Tags: 007 , capitalism , CIA , George Clooney , Iran , Lebanon , Middle East , movies , spies , Stephen Gaghan , Syriana , thrillers
Red Prophet now a Graphic Novel
Orson Scott Card’s alternate history of the American frontier, Red Prophet, is soon a graphic novel (preview at Newsarama): “We felt that a book set in history like Red Prophet should have a ‘Great Illustrated Classics’ kind of feel to it.” Continue reading
"Red Prophet now a Graphic Novel"
Tags: alternate history , comics , Orson Scott Card , Westerns
Ninjas vs. Pirates
It’s an idea whose time has come: Ninjas vs. Pirates! Sounds homebrew too: “Almost all scenes in NVP were shot in front of 9 sheets of 30-cent green posterboard in a 12’x13’ apartment living room, lit with $12 Wal-Mart halogen work lights.” Continue reading
"Ninjas vs. Pirates"
Tags: action , adventure , assassins , film making , lo fi , martial arts , movies , ninjas , piracy , special effects , stealth , thieves , versus , video
All Psych Studies Stink?
Bill Harris over at Dubious Quality takes himself as the basis for his study of computer gaming causing violence: “After playing ‘killing simulators’ for decades, how am I not some kind of crazed predator? Why are me and my droogs not out for a bit of ultraviolence?” Continue reading
"All Psych Studies Stink?"
Tags: blood , games , psychology , shooters , simulation
Lovely Free Flash Game
Samorost 2 is a point and click adventure puzzle game you can play in your browser. It begins with our protagonist in his nightcap rocketing off to save his kidnapped dog, and he must explore a romantic-industrial planet to do so. Continue reading
"Lovely Free Flash Game"
Tags: adventure , animals , dogs , freeware , games , puzzle games , rockets , shareware , space
Free Finnish Trek Movie
Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a feature length movie that its Finnish creators have released for free. I’ve only seen the trailer, but its production values are amazing for a zero budget flick and the line it walks between parody and fan film is intriguing. Continue reading
"Free Finnish Trek Movie"
Tags: Babylon 5 , Finland , science fiction , space opera , Star Trek , video
Red Panda in Yer Ear
I ran across a poster in my neighbourhood advertising Decoder Ring Theatre, and boy, do they deliver the goods! Check out their old-timey radio serial podcasts featuring Red Panda, Canada’s Greatest Superhero. It’s a pretty dead-on pastiche of ’40s dramas like the Green Hornet. Continue reading
"Red Panda in Yer Ear"
Games for Greybeards
The fabulous new videogame magazine The Escapist takes a look this week at what happens when the first generation of gamers starts to get older, including this gem: “Donna and Jack discovered a fact lost on our culture’s anti-game crusaders: Gaming is an extraordinarily effective parenting tool.” Continue reading
"Games for Greybeards"
Tags: games , parenthood
kill your phone
Ah, it’s not all crappy ports of arcade classics. Rebecca Cannon, Australian DVD zinester is working on a mobile phone game called The Kill Yourself Game which pits you against hordes of enemy yous. Highschool teachers are going to love that one. Continue reading
"kill your phone"
Tags: Australia , cellphones , games , Rebecca Cannon , technology , versus , zines
Joss and Neil talk Geek
“I always loved, most of all with doing comics, the fact that I knew I was in the gutter. I kind of miss that, even these days, whenever people come up and inform me, oh, you do graphic novels. No. I wrote comic books, for heaven’s sake. They’re creepy and I was down in the gutter and you despised me. ‘No, no, we love you! We want to give you awards! You write graphic novels!’ We like it here in the gutter!” Neil Gaiman in discussion with Joss Whedon Continue reading
"Joss and Neil talk Geek"
Weird Wasteland
The upcoming Tony Hawk game is set in 1980s L.A. with, if the trailers are to be believed, a soundtrack featuring Dead Kennedys and the Pixies. Prominent in the trailers are bike riding and a light rail train, which is cool but also very weird: L.A. is a horrible place to ride transit and bike. Continue reading
"Weird Wasteland"
Tags: 1980s , American Wasteland , California , cycling , Dead Kennedys , games , Los Angeles , Pixies , punk , sandbox , skateboarding , soundtracks , sports , Tony Hawk , trailers , video
Making the Familiar, Alien
Christina Socorro Yovovich over at Strange Horizons on what drew her to sf: “What kept me reading science fiction was the way it made my immediate surroundings alien, too. Everywhere I looked, something familiar turned new and strange.” Continue reading
"Making the Familiar, Alien"
Tags: science fiction
Warriors, Come Out and Plaaaay….
Rockstar’s doing a videogame based on the 1979 gangsploitation flick The Warriors, but the trailer makes me worry they’ve been slavishly faithful to the movie. It’s great and all, but I didn’t watch it for its dramatic oration. Continue reading
"Warriors, Come Out and Plaaaay...."
Imagining Robin Williams on Warcraft
Susan Marie Groppi reads the Warcraft forums so you don’t have to, and muses on whether celebrities enjoy anonymity online gaming gives them or whether it makes them lose their shit. Continue reading
"Imagining Robin Williams on Warcraft"
Tags: Azeroth
New Games Journalism the New Emo?
From the comments after Game Girl Advance’s article on the backlash against experiential game reviewing: “New Games Journalism is the new emo. No one wants to be called it, and everyone is accusing everyone else of doing it.” Continue reading
"New Games Journalism the New Emo?"
Tags: emo , games
Some preliminary details about a computer game based on the Bone comic: “We plan on executing the story as it is told in the comics. There will be added interactivity and we will take some license, but we are trying to stay true to the comic.” Continue reading
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Tags: Bone , comics , games , Jeff Smith
Mike Sterling takes a brief look at the (possibly one-joke) comic, Here Doesn’t Come the Flying F—-!: “The eponymous hero is a slovenly sort, fighting for truth, justice…well, actually, just fighting for his right to watch television uninterrupted, mostly.” Continue reading
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Tags: comics , superheroes
Ah, the perennial music nerd topic, Desert Island Discs. On the Beatles’ Help: “This album falls on the trailing edge of their original Beatlemania phase and the beginning of their brief folk-rock/art-pop phase (a phase I wish had lasted a little longer before they went pepperdelic).” Continue reading
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Tags: geekery , music , psychedelia
Over at Maisonneuve, Michel Basilières writes a heartfelt appreciation of the career of Fritz Leiber, a writer who “was equally at home with science fiction, modern or urban fantasy, horror stories and sword & sorcery—an expression he coined.” Continue reading
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Tags: fantasy , Fritz Leiber , horror , science fiction
Joystiq reports the clumsiest product displacement yet, where Electronic Arts removed a reference to Sega in House of Pain’s anthem “Jump Around” from NBA Street v3. The corporate revisionist megamix in yo face! Continue reading
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Tags: capitalism , corporate revisionism , Electronic Arts , games , Sega , sports
The Grumpy Gamer (Ron Gilbert, creator of some great old Lucasarts adventure games) goes off on cutscenes: “There is a very different visual and structural language needed to tell a story in an interactive and malleable environment. You can’t just lift that structure from a linear form like movies, cut it up into chunks interspersed between gun-play and call it good.” Continue reading
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Tags: games , narrative
Nick’s Flick Picks puts Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at the top of the list for 2004: “Popcorn-munchers, digital video enthusiasts, bleeding-heart romantics, dyed-in-the-wool Eeyores, pot-heads, mad hatters, and the Friends of Alexander Pope finally have a movie they can enjoy together.” Continue reading
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Tags: Charlie Kaufman , movies
There’s an interesting interview with an actress in ilovebees, a “search opera” run to promote Halo 2 that was more innovative than the shooter itself (probably in no small part due to novelist Sean Stewart’s involvement). Continue reading
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Tags: games , Halo 2 , interviews , Sean Stewart , shooters
The four editors at Revolution SF have their say about What is Best in Life 2004: “It’s almost overwhelming, really, to think about how mainstream and blasé everyone has become about Geek Culture… If anything, all of these movies, books, TV shows, and what-not are proof that We Were Right all along.” Continue reading
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Tags: fandom , geekery
Robots in the Victorian Era
Hard to believe someone might believe this was real: History of Robots in the Victorian Era. A retrospective of lesser-known sf of the 19th century. Continue reading
"Robots in the Victorian Era"
Tags: art , robots , science fiction , Victorian
Slate pans Michael Crichton’s new book, State of Fear: “Crichton is like a college professor who insists on lecturing 10 minutes after the class period ends, when his students are edging toward the door.” Continue reading
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Tags: Michael Crichton , science fiction , thrillers
“Delightful Surreal Trip through Geek Culture”
Jamie Friston compares Lucky Wander Boy to Philip K. Dick’s VALIS and Haruki Murakami’s The Wild Sheep Chase and calls it a “delightful surreal trip through geek culture.” Continue reading
""Delightful Surreal Trip through Geek Culture""
Tags: D.B. Weiss , fandom , games , geekery , Haruki Murakami , Japan , Philip K. Dick , science fiction , surrealism
Sequential Tart interviews Erika Moen (Girly Queer Vibrating Comics), who gives this advice: “Don’t wait. Do it now. You can’t call yourself an artist and then only do art when you’re ‘in the right mood’ or ‘have the time.’” Continue reading
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Tags: art , comics , gender , LGBT , Queerness , the ladies
In the ongoing adventures of Shoot Club, Tom Chick gets around to trash talk: “Trash talk is like politics or religion: there’s a right time and a right place for it. And even then, you handle it differently with different people.” Continue reading
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Tags: trash talk
The screenwriter of the upcoming Doom movie dreams big in this interview: “I never thought of it as a video game movie. I wanted to write first a great movie, then a great science fiction movie and then a video game movie.” Continue reading
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Tags: Doom , movies
What makes a good sex scene? Sara Donati of Storytelling investigates, with the basic rule: “If you can substitute ‘and then they had sex,’ the scene is useless.” With 10 examples. Continue reading
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Tags: sex , writing
The cultural gutter indeed! How about an overview of comics based on video games: “This is not what worried parents had in mind. Comic books were bad enough, but reading comic books about games could be likened to brushing one’s teeth with icing sugar.” [Site has annoying ads] Continue reading
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Tags: comics , games
The latest Rain Taxi says “a fantastic and witty history explodes with a Big Bang” in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and that Transmetropolitan: One More Time is “a dynamic conclusion to the story that Warren Ellis and his cabal set out to tell.” Continue reading
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Tags: cyberpunk , dystopia , faeries , fantasy , Warren Ellis
The first issue of Graphic Novel Review on Bone: One Volume Edition: “Ignore the larger storyline, the workmanlike High Fantasy backdrop Smith chose to use as an excuse to make us spend time with these characters (we didn’t need an excuse). Focus instead on the individual moments, the characters themselves, the joyous, masterful cartooning, and you’ll have a blast.” Continue reading
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Tags: Bone , cartooning , comics , fantasy , Jeff Smith
If all stories were written like science fiction stories: “They selected one of the hydrocarbon-powered ground transports from the queue which waited outside the airport. The fee was small enough that it was not paid electronically, but using portable dollar tokens. The driver conducted his car unit into the city; though he drove only at 100 km/hr, it felt much faster since they were only a meter from the concrete road surface.” Continue reading
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Tags: parody , science fiction , writing
The Flick Filosopher thinks The Village mistakes a twist ending for good writing: “[Shyamalan] figured Let’s go all the way and make a film that’s nothing but secret sauce. It makes for a film that is frustrating and tedious and then — bam! — slams the audience with the knowledge that they’ve been had, and maliciously so.” Continue reading
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Tags: movies
The Flick Filosopher thinks The Village mistakes a twist ending for good writing: “[Shyamalan] figured Let’s go all the way and make a film that’s nothing but secret sauce. It makes for a film that is frustrating and tedious and then — bam! — slams the audience with the knowledge that they’ve been had, and maliciously so.” Continue reading
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Tags: M. Night Shyamalan , movies
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“I find it sadly ironic that in worlds only limited by our imagination, no one seems to have one.” Bill Harris (on his blog on sports videogames, Dubious Quality) talks about why City of Heroes doesn’t excite him. Continue reading
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Tags: City of Heroes , disappointment , games , MMOs , sports , superheroes
Tee Morris at Strange Horizons worries about elitism in science fiction, gets scathingly rebuked by Nick Mamatas, and less scathingly commented on by Matthew Cheney over at Mumpsimus. Continue reading
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Tags: fandom , science fiction
“A sprawling, ambitious form of comic-book meta-fiction”
Zachary Houle writes about Michael Chabon’s latest: “The Escapist project is a sprawling, ambitious form of comic-book meta-fiction that bounces back-and-forth between rediscovered potboilers from the ’40s to ’80s and scholarly essays offering context and academic takes on these works.” Continue reading
""A sprawling, ambitious form of comic-book meta-fiction""
Tags: 1940s , 1980s , comics , criticism , metafiction , Michael Chabon , pulp , the Escapist , Zachary Houle
Clive Thompson wrote a terrific article on the economics of massive multiplayer online games that goes beyond the usual “people are making money with their hobby!” coverage and explores what virtual economics says about capitalism at large. Wonderfully readable, too. Continue reading
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Tags: capitalism , games , MMOs
People who’ve discovered the joy of stashing a couple of interviews on the mp3 players should check out The Agony Columns archive of interviews with SF writers and beyond like Jonathan Lethem. Continue reading
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Tags: audio , interviews , Jonathan Lethem , podcasts , science fiction
Something Awful (whose slogan, The Internet Makes You Stupid, says a lot about the site) has a great parody of videogame hype, Solitaire 2: Solitaire Harder. Sample soundbite: “Authentic card sound effects beautifully recreate the real sounds of playing card games. The sound will be so amazing you’ll think tiny demons are shuffling decks of cards inside your brain.” Continue reading
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Tags: demons , games , parody , Solitaire
After an intro like this, the game (Onimusha 3) will have to be a let-down. But still, if it has a tenth of the imaginative power it’ll tower above most games. And it’s not just because I’ve always wanted to fight zombie samurai within insectile zepplin-esque motherships. Continue reading
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Tags: games , insects , space , zombies
Greg Costikyan tells science fiction writers: “I want to be challenged with interesting ideas, distinctive writing styles, unconventional ways of looking at things, and transportation to a world very different from our own. I don’t want to sink into the familiar, I want to be surprised and shaken up.” (His blog also has an excellent post about GDC). Continue reading
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Tags: conventions and festivals , design , games , science fiction , writing
Dylan Horrocks writes: “New artforms bring new aesthetic paradigms. Those who fail to recognise this tend to miss the point of the work altogether, dismissing it as frivolous, bad or even dangerous.” A long article about comics, videogames, and fantasy novels. Continue reading
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Tags: art , comics , fantasy , games
The Mumpimus writes about Stories of Sex and Identity: “Despite a fairly conservative base of readers, SF has been investigating sex and gender since at least the time of Theodore Sturgeon, and a few recent stories which fit into this tradition have caught my attention.” Continue reading
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Tags: gender , LGBT , Queerness , science fiction , sex
Joe Haldeman interviewed at Strange Horizons: “You’ll meet people who grind out really hackneyed crap who read Joyce all the time or keep up with the blue-blood writers. But then again, I’ll meet a lot of serious writers in academia who’ll confess they read mysteries and even science fiction. A lot of us got into writing because of the intense pleasure we got from it when we were very young.” Continue reading
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Tags: writing
Not to be navel gazing, but the Toronto Comic Jam discussion board has a lively discussion on the offensiveness of us calling the gutter the gutter. Continue reading
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Tags: Cultural Gutter , Toronto
Richard Scheib on Big Fish: “It is really like Burton has been abducted and replaced by a pod person.” Scheib reviews hundreds of obscure B-movies on his site. Continue reading
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Tags: movies , Tim Burton
Small Beer Press’s Gavin Grant does an interview with China Mieville, a fantasy writer who considers what he does “the pulp wing of surrealism.” Continue reading
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Tags: China Mieville , fantasy , pulp , surrealism
It’s been just over a year since Frisco writer and editor Marc Weidenbaum
founded this stellar blog, a public service to one of his dearest passions. “Writing about comics on the internet is itself a form of reading in public,” he says. Continue reading
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Tags: comics , writing
“In the ’70s and ’80s cartoons and consumer electronics were bigger and trashier than ever and freaked kids out… Now these kids are getting older and are freaking everybody else out by using this same throw-away trash.” A glimpse at the fucked cartoon genius of PaperRad is worth braving their technicolor website for. Continue reading
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Tags: animation , cartoons , video
This article on the brilliant Game Girl Advance site begins with the author getting woken up on a weekend for a phone survey, and ends up sparking a great discussion on making a videogame out of Jimmy Corrigan, 100 Years of Solitude, and Battle Royale. Ya give some people lemons… Continue reading
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Tags: games , the ladies
 Paw through our archives
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Of Note Elsewhere Lady killers get their revenge in this Vaultcast from Vault of Horror interviewing I Spit on Your Grave director Steven Moore and actress Sarah Butler. Vault of Horror also debates misogyny in the film with producer of both the original and the remake, Meir Zarchi. Meanwhile, ladies serve up their revenge hot in the game "Hey Baby," a first person shooter where guys who harass ladies on the street are the target. ~"Once again, a [film-making] technique progresses from 'innovative' to 'standard procedure' to 'OK, please stop doing that.'" (More teal and orange madness, here). ~Gloria Stuart has died at 100. Most of the media remembers her as the elder Rose in Titanic. The Gutter remembers her in the James Whale classic, The Old Dark House. The New York Times obituary discusses her many accomplishments outside film here. ~Yellowback novels were pulpy Victorian reading. Emory University has a bunch of them for you to download. (via @houseinrlyeh) ~Daywalt Fear Factory has posted a little taste of the upcoming series, Camera Obscura. And, yes, that's Jack Klugman. ~View all Notes here. Seen something shiny? Gutter-talk worth hearing? Let us know!
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