 Press Release What is the Saturday Morning Special? It’s the brainchild of a couple of immature guys; Brian LeTendre and Matt (Matman) Herring who are the creators and hosts of the all ages Secret Identity Podcast.Secret Identity has been providing ‘solid gold ear candy’ for comic book fans, gamers, and other members of geek culture for over 7 years. In that time Brian and Matman have interviewed hundreds of creators from the worlds of comic books, gaming, movies, television and music. Included in that list are comic book creator Todd McFarlane (Spawn), actors George Lazenby (James Bond) & Dean Haglund (X –Files), musician John Wetton (Asia / King Crimson), author Alana Jolie Abbott (Into The Reach), game developer Glenn Gamble (Walking Dead: Survival Instinct) and some of the biggest current comic book creators like Dan Slott (Spider-Man), Joe Kelly (Ben 10), Jeff Lemire (Animal Man) and Scott Snyder (Batman). Even wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper got into the act by putting Matman and Brian in headlocks at the same time.
So what is the Saturday Morning Special? In reverence to the days of our youth where Saturday was all about cereal, cartoons and pajamas til noon, it’s a show that celebrates all these things in a fun way.
Joining the duo in this little adventure is Keith Gleason and John Cimino from Reckless Sidekick Productions! If the names seem a little familiar it’s because John and Keith are the stars of the ‘Swass Cast’ and were the driving force behind the electrified web series ‘Hero Envy’!
What we hope to do with ‘Saturday Morning Special’ is provide viewers with a visual compendium to the Secret Identity Podcast; a show that has the same charm, positive energy and all ages fun that we provide each week.Members of the Secret identity Facebook Page will get a sneak preview of our debut episode! Everyone else will be able to see it on Saturday, May 25th. Enjoy The Show!!!
To find out more and listen to episodes of Secret Identity just go to www.secretidentitypodcast.com
Secret Identity can be heard on the radio Saturday's at 10 AM in Albany, New York on 1410 WENU CBS Sports
Matman can be reached at matmancomics@yahoo.com or (413) 433 - 9746
Brian can be reached at brian.letendre@gmail.com
The Secret Identity Posdcast is sponsored by Archie Comics, 80'sTees.com, Discount Comic Book Services, Boston Comic Con, New York Comic Con, ComicConn, Most Excellent Comics and Collectibles (Enfield, CT), Archaia Press and the Albany Comic Con
For information about Reckless Sidekick Productions go to www.heroenvy.com
 by Brian LeTendre
I will do this with as few spoilers as possible, but there is one I am going to talk about.
Iron Man 3 is a very interesting movie, and a very good one, overall. But, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment after leaving the theater, as Iron Man 3 does not live up to post-Avengers expectations.
For starters, this movie is much more about Tony Stark than it is about Iron Man. I can’t be sure, but it felt like he spent less time in the suit than in either of the previous movies. Much of the movie’s focus is on what the events of the Avengers have done to the psyche of Tony Stark, and how he can’t just go back to life as normal after the things he’s seen. I really liked this angle for the movie, as you don’t usually get these kind of character examinations in superhero movies, much less sequels of superhero movies. I was reminded of Superman II, and how well that movie depicted Clark’s struggle and the emotional gauntlet he went through in deciding to give up his powers. Tony isn’t really faced with the same choice in this movie, but the struggle is there, as he can’t unsee the things he’s seen, and the scope of what happened in The Avengers is constantly weighing on him, affecting his every decision.
All of that stuff is great and makes for an interesting movie, just not an action-packed one. In fact, Iron Man 3 feels more like some of the less action-y Bond films than it does a superhero film. There are some great set pieces to be sure, but you’ve already seen most of them in the trailers. When the action does come, it certainly delivers, and it may actually be more satisfying because the movie issn’t just a series of explosions.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
What disappointed me about Iron Man 3 was how it had absolutely no connection to the rest of the Marvel universe. SHIELD is nowhere to be found in this movie. The rest of the Avengers are nowhere to be found (unless you count a pretty lame after-credits scene). In fact, if you take out the references that Tony makes to “New York,” this movie has nothing to do with the alrger marvel universe. Which is really sad, because Marvel was so careful to build that universe during Phase 1 of it’s movie plans. It just made no sense to me that they did not capitalize on anything having to do with The Avengers in this movie. I kept waiting for it, but it never came.
[END SPOILERS]
So, overall, I really enjoyed Iron Man 3 as a standalone movie. It’s a great end to the trilogy for Robert Downey Jr. and the supporting cast. If they never make another Iron Man movie, this series can still stand tall. But as a part of the larger Marvel universe, Iron Man 3 lacked the connective tissue we’ve come to expect from all Marvel movies now.
4 out of 5 Stark, Tony Starks
 Ray Harryhausen passed away on Tuesday at the age of 92. Often referred to as the “master of stop-motion animation,” Harryhausen is most well known for his legendary work on Clash of the Titans and the Sinbad films.
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve watching Harryhausen movies with my dad. My lifelong fascination with special effects began with The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Harryhausen’s cyclops. As a kid, he blew my mind, and that was before I knew how much work went into what we got to see onscreen.
Harryhausen’s impact on the film industry, and special effects in particular, is almost immeasurable. He inspired generations of filmmakers, and his films still stand up todfay as technical marvels.
He will be missed, greatly.
--Brian
 by Matman
Sports has always been more than just guys playing a game! The cultural and national effects they have help us forget bad situations (1980 US hockey 'Miracle On Ice'), made us think the best of people (Roberto Clemente dying while providing humanitarian aid) and more recent, having sports help us heal in the state of Massachusetts following the Boston Marathon bombing.
But nothing compares to the lasting effect that Jackie Robinson had on not only baseball, but the United States and quite possibly the world.
'42' is the story of Jackie Robinson and his struggles and obstacles he had to endure during his rookie season, being the first black player to play in the Major Leagues. The film, like most bio picks has its slow moments, but that is overcome by some moving moments, great baseball action and some powerful acting by Chadwick Boseman (Robinson), Andre Holland (reporter Wendell Smith) and Harrison Ford as the legendary Branch Rickey.
The film does an incredible job at dealing with the racial slurs hurled Robinson's way. None are more emotional than the 'legendary' moment when Philadelphia Philies manager Ben Chapman came out of the dugout and said some horrific things to Robinson as he tried to bat. This scene was so uncomfortable to watch because I can't fathom how anyone could treat another human being that way. Congrats to Alan Tudyk (Firefly / Suburgatory) for pulling it off with such realism.
Director Brian Helgeland did a fantastic job with the entire film; casting, pacing and period accuracy. There are a few things that may not be historically accurate (bat smashing in the runway scene) but sometimes you need to do things to move the story a bit or to create a mood and he certainly did just that.
'42' is not just another baseball movie like Jackie Robinson wasn't just another baseball player. '42' is a historical account of that time in the late 1940's when America began to change for the better!
Matman Rating: 5 out of 5 more reasons not to like the Philies!
by Brian LeTendre
Let me get this right out of the way--I loved the new Evil Dead. Part remake, part spiritual successor, co-writer and Director Fede Alvarez crafted a film that actually does justice to the iconic horror franchise.
In this incarnation, Suburgatory’s Jane Levy plays Mia, a troubled twenty-something who has traveled to her family’s old cabin in the woods to kick drugs cold turkey in one weekend. Among her support group are her estranged brother David, his girlfriend Natalie, and Mia and David’s two friends Eric and Olivia. Not long after they get there, Eric finds the fabled Naturon Demonto (Book of the Dead). Much like the original Evil Dead, when words from the book are spoken aloud, bad things start to happen.
When I say bad things, I mean really gory, nasty things. If there’s one area this movie can go toe to toe with the original on, it’s the blood and guts category. Not only are there plenty of nods to the original as well as Evil Dead 2, but there’s an homage to Lucio Fulci’s famous eye scenes, and the lesser known but still memorable lipstick scene from 1994’s Night of the Demons 2.
Where I think the movie shines however, is where Alvarez and company have put their own twist on the both the story and the lore of the original. The Necronomicon itself is more of a fleshed out book (no pun intended) this time around. The reason for the book being in the old cabin is better than the original, and it’s set up by a great opening sequence. Alvarez also made a great decision in not just copying the characters of the original, but creating amalgams that feature characteristics of those characters. That approach kept me, someone who’s seen the original trilogy hundreds of times, guessing until the end. There is no one ‘Ash’ character at the start of the film, but one emerges by the end. It’s a great character moment when it happens.
Ironically, if there's one place I think the movie falls short, its in the character department. None of the new cast members are anywhere near as charismatic as Bruce Campbell, and that lack of presence is noticeable. Jane Levy is certainly the best of the lot, but there is a lot of the movie where she’s out of the action, and no one really picks up the slack.
But, it just as well that the creators didn’t try to replace Bruce Campbell with a new Ash, as it’s pretty much impossible. And I feel comfortable saying that this is probably the best Evil Dead movie anyone could have made without Raimi directing and Campbell starring. heck, it might be better than they would have done.
Evil Dead is a great throwback to the horror movies I grew up watching, and I hope it sets a new bar for what horror audiences can expect. The only remake that even comes close to this one was Alexander Aja’s 2006 version of The Hills Have Eyes, and I think this movie tops it. You should absolutely go see this in the theater with some friends that really like horror flicks.
4.5 out of 5 When a Book Says Not to Read It, Don’t Read Its
 by Brian LeTendre
First, the good news--GI Joe: Retaliation had a very good first weekend at the box office, taking in over $40 million. It also has done very well internationally, as its been the biggest international release this year so far.
Overall, the movie raked in $132 million since its opening, clearing its $130 million production budget and paving the way for the movie to be profitable. So, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing another GI Joe movie in the future.
Which brings me to the bad news--GI Joe: Retaliation is not a good movie. I mean, I didn’t expect it to be a great movie, but I expected a major leap forward from the first one, and this movie is more like a few baby steps forward. It’s better than Rise of Cobra, but not by much.
The plot of Retaliation is so ludicrous that it makes the cartoon look like it was grounded in reality. The basic story is that Zartan is impersonating the President, has most of the Joes executed, frees Cobra Commander and then they try to blackmail the world. Sounds cool, right? The problem is that it feels like that sentence was the entire script the director was working from. Everything from the dialogue to the flow of the scenes is very clumsy and awkward. Even the giant ninja fight on the mountainside that you saw in the trailer is a disappointment.
The worst parts of the movie are the tacked-on extra scenes with Channing Tatum’s Duke that were likely filmed after the move had been completed and Magic Mike made him a household name. At least, I hope they were filmed after the movie, as they feel completely off from the rest of the film.
For me, the best part of the movie was Ray Stevenson’s (Punisher War Zone, Thor) portrayal of Firefly. That guy is just awesome in everything. He seems to be having the most fun of anyone in the movie, he gets the coolest toys to play with, and he ends up being much more of a villain than either Cobra Commander or Zartan, who are both underutilized throughout the movie. It’s like he was the only one outside of The Rock that knew he was in a GI Joe movie.
I know it sounds like I hated this movie--I didn’t. It was a fun action movie, that featured some moments of greatness (the final fight between Roadblock and Firefly being my favorite). But overall, Retaliation feels like a waste of potential. I’m really hoping that if we get a third film, the creators go all the way and truly embrace everything about the franchise. I want to see Trubble Bubbles. I want Tomax and Xamot, a lot more Cobra Commander, and I want Joes wearing their signature costumes, for crying out loud.
And one more thing--I want MacArthur S. Ito. Snake Eyes can sit the next one out.
2.5 out of 5 Lack of Quick Kicks
Press Release
April 1, 2012--Warner Bros. and Disney jointly announced in New York today their plan to co-distribute Avengers/JLA, a crossover movie based on the 2003-2004 limited comic book series that pitted the premiere superhero teams of both universes against one another.
Written by Kurt Busiek with art by the legendary George Perez, Avengers/JLA saw the superhero teams used as pawns in a game between two cosmic dieties. While the heroes begin as adversaries, they end up working together to save both of their universes.
The search for a director is underway, and it was annonced that Kurt Busiek was consulting on the project. The movie is currently being planned for 2016, and will take place after Avengers 2 and the upcoming Justice League movie. Now word yet if the current actors will be reprising their roles for the crossover.
For more details, head over to www.jla-avengers.com.
An all-new chapter in the “Battlestar Galactica” saga, Blood & Chrome takes place in the midst of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama, finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Though Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton, “Alcatraz”), the two men must set their differences aside when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordán, “Silent Witness”) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.
Press Release
Based on the Geoff Johns/Gary Frank 2008 release "Superman: Brainiac," SUPERMAN: UNBOUND finds the horrific force responsible for the destruction of Krypton – Brainiac – descending upon Earth. Brainiac has crossed the universe, collecting cities from interesting planets – Kandor, included – and now the all-knowing, ever-evolving android has his sights fixed on Metropolis. Superman must summon all of his physical and intellectual resources to protect his city, the love of his life, and his newly-arrived cousin, Supergirl.
The film’s stellar voicecast is led by Matt Bomer (White Collar) as Superman, John Noble (Fringe, The Lord of the Rings films) as Brainiac, Stana Katic (Castle) as Lois Lane and Molly Quinn (Castle) as Supergirl.
Supervising Producer James Tucker (Justice League, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) also directs the film from a script by Bob Goodman (Warehouse 13, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns).
SUPERMAN: UNBOUND is coming to Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand and for download on May 7, 2013.
WonderCon/Anaheim will host the World Premiere of SUPERMAN: UNBOUND in late March.
Check out the trailer below!
 by Brian LeTendre
One of the highlights of taking my kids to see Wreck-It-Ralph this past November was the fantastic animated short "Paperman" that screened in front of the movie.
Directed by John Kahrs, the short film begins with a chance encounter between a man and a woman on a train platform, and the forces that intervene to make sure they meet again. It's beautiful and emotional, and you can watch it right now in the player below, as it debuted on YouTube today.
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