Secret Identity--What's New?

Fan Film Fridays--Spider-Man: Eclipse

12/20/2013

This week's fan film features everybody's favorite wall-crawler!

Spider-Man: Eclipse was written and directed by Al White and stars Alexander Chard in the title role. The story involves Spidey being captured and having to fight his way out through a bunch of hand ninjas.

Featuring some great fight choreography, a nice moment with Mary Jane and a great ending, Spider-Man: Eclipse is a fun short film that is absolutely worth checking out. Enjoy!

Review--Ash And The Army Of Darkness #1 (Dynamite)

12/19/2013

by Brian LeTendre

I’ve been hot and cold on Dynamite’s Army of Darkness series over the years. My main problem is not how they’ve handled the license, but the fact that the license they have is for Army of Darkness as opposed to Evil Dead. The third installment of Raimi’s movie trilogy was by far the silliest of the three, almost foregoing horror entirely in order to try and garner a bigger mainstream audience. For most horror fans, the first Evil Dead is a masterpiece, and the second is beloved because of how ridiculously gory it got.

But when I heard that horror vet Steve Niles was taking a crack at the new Ash and the Army of Darkness series, I was optimistic. I figured he would find a way to bring back some of the horror, even within the confines of the AoD license. My optimism was well-placed, as Niles not only provided a darker version of the AoD universe, but he is actually using what’s there to tell a deeper story.

We start issue one in a very familiar place, with Ash telling his co-workers at S-Mart about his exploits, only to be interrupted by a Deadite attack. After a few pages of what we’re used to however, the story takes a hard left. It seems that Ash’s tendency to misquote the rites of the Necronomicon have landed him (and S-Mart) back in the medieval world, and things have gotten substantially worse since he left.

I won’t spoil what the twist is, but I loved the fact that Niles is bringing in the rest of the AoD cast, and there is already more meat to this story than the usual Ash killing Deadites rinse and repeat nature of previous series.

In terms of the artwork, I am a fan of Dennis Calero, but I feel like some of the action is stiff in this issue. There are moments and set pieces that Calero captures beautifully, particularly the exterior shot of S-Mart when Ash sees where he really is. But, the fight scenes feel more like a series of poses than fluid combat. There was a lot of setup to push through in this issue though, so he may have more room to open up the action as the series progresses.

Overall, I’m really happy with the first issue of Ash and the Army of Darkness, and I think this could be the best AoD series yet.

4 out of 5 Fake Shemps

The Five(ish) Doctors Celebrate '50'!

12/18/2013

by Matman

As I was doing research for my book, I came across this incredible film put together by John Davison, who not only played the Fifth Doctor but is the father-in-law to the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. This 30 minute video also stars Doctors Six, Seven and Eight (Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann ) and a ton of cameos by many Doctor Who alum, past and present!

Enjoy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01m3kfy

Review--Grabbers (2012)

12/17/2013

by Brian LeTendre

Browsing through some of the new releases on Netflix recently, I saw a horror-comedy that I remembered enjoying the trailer for a while back. Turns out, the movie lived up to the trailer, as Grabbers is a fun monster flick in the vein of Shaun of the Dead.

The film centers around a small Irish island that becomes the mating ground for sea monsters. The monsters look like Shuma Gorath from the Marvel U, and they need two things to thrive--blood and water.

As it turns out though, alcohol is pretty much poison to them. So when a storm allows the monsters to come ashore and attack the town, the residents of the island have to get hammered and try to stay alive long enough for the storm to pass.

The tone of Grabbers is pretty light, and while there are a couple of decapitations, there’s actually very little gore in this movie. The special effects are pretty decent, which is really the only thing that elevates the movie above your normal SyFy Saturday night fare.

If you’re a fan of creature features, Grabbers is a fun one that’s worth a watch.

3 out of 5 Cold Ones

Matman Hits 30,000 Comic Books!

12/16/2013

by Matman

In 1974 my dad bought me a copy of 'Magnus Robot Fighter' # 36 and started what would be a life long obsession and love of comic books and geek culture. And here we are almost 40 years later with comic number 30,000...

drum roll please... 'Archie' # 650!

I often wonder how much different my life would have been if I never discovered comic books, but there was no way I could have gotten away from it. My dad used 'Classics Illustrated' to not only help him read but get out of high school and my grandfather used to love 'Zane Grey's Westerns', so I was predisposed.

Comic books were and still are everything to me. It is what I do in my spare time and since doing a comic book podcast, it has opened up a whole new world for me; celebrating the hobby I love so much!

No matter where I was in my life, I never was too cool for comic books! In 5th Grade I had a comic book ('Sgt. Rock' #330) ripped up infront of my classmates because I had it behind a text book. I would bring comic books on sports trips to read never fearing persecution and even when I was drinking way too much, I wouldn't drink on Wednesdays (new comic book day). Pretty important to me.

With the help of my trusty calculator i have read about 960,000 pages and have read and collected over 2 comic books for every day I have been alive! That is so cool...

My relationships with Captain America, Jonah Hex, Batman and so many more have been the longest relationships in my life except for my family. I cried when the Flash died in 'Crisis' # 8, I was excited when we were drawn into 'Jonah Hex' # 34 and have shared some great moments with my dad and my daughters reading so many great comic books.

So thank you so much again comic books for making my life that much better. Thank you to all the creators who have given the pages life and those stores and people who have kept me going in the four color world.

Here's to another 30,000!

Review--Black Sweater Massacre (The Reigning Monarchs)

12/15/2013

by Brian LeTendre

I came to know about The Reigning Monarchs through the Walking the Room podcast. comedian Greg Behrendt is the guitar player of the surf/ska/punk band that he co-founded with Michael Eisenstein (Letters to Cleo) back in 2007. A little while back, the group released their long-awaited second full album, Black Sweater Massacre.

The album is comprised of twelve instrumentals that range from mellow rockabilly to traditional surf to what I would describe as punk swing. They’re a hard band to characterize, which is one of the things I love about the Reigning Monarchs--there’s just nothing else out there like them.

Behrendt and Eisenstein's guitars drive the band's sound, and they’re accompanied by some stellar horns. The bass and drums are the only forces keeping the songs on the rails at points, which gives the whole album the feel of a roller coaster ride.

Black Sweater Massacre is a blast of a record that you’ll find yourself revisiting again and again. It’s been one of my writing soundtracks since I picked it up, and it makes for a fine workout soundtrack as well.

You can grab Black Sweater Massacre for $7, and it’s well worth the money. You can check out a video promo for the album below that will give you a taste of the band's sound.

Doctor Who Plush Toys!

12/14/2013

by Matman

A few weeks ago I told you all about the cool Doctor Who plush toys handmade by the Wyrd Sisters in Arkansas. Well today in the mail I received some of these cool toys to see for myself and let me tell you now... I'm impressed!

The TARDIS and the Daleks come in two sizes; the small is about 5 inches tall and the large are about 9 inches tall and are stuffed and squishy. They are handmade with perfect stitching on the TARDIS and buttons covering the lower half of the Daleks.

You can tell these unique gifts are made with love and the small TARDIS is now this years addition to our Christmas Tree.

To find out more about these great items (and more) contact https://www.facebook.com/WyrdSistersCrafts?ref=br_tf

Fan Film Fridays: 'Hell No--The Sensible Horror Film'

12/13/2013

by Brian LeTendre

I'd like to start showcasing some of the amazing fan films that are populating YouTube these days, so a couple Fridays a month, I'm going to post them here. Since today is Friday the 13th, it seemed appropriate to start with a horror movie.

Here's the thing, though--as I was scrolling through the dozens of very cool Friday the 13th fan films, and tons of original horror flicks on YouTube as well, I stumbled across this gem.

This fake trailer for Hell No: The Sensible Horror Film is an absolute riot, especially if you're a horror fan. There is some adult language in this one, but trust me, it's worth a watch. Happy Friday the 13th, and don't do anything stupid.

Joe Nicolosi, the filmmaker behind this trailer, has made a bunch of other great videos as well, which you can check out at http://joe-nicolosi.com.

Review--Amazing X-Men #1 (Marvel)

12/12/2013

by Brian LeTendre

Just when I’ve been lamenting the lack of fun in comic books anymore, Amazing X-Men comes along and restores my faith. Everything a first issue should be, Amazing X-Men #1 is the beginning of a very promising tale that sees the return of Nightcrawler to the the Marvel U.

The creative team of Jason Aaron, Ed McGuiness and Dexter Vines infuse this issue with fun from the get go. We find Nightcrawler sitting around in Heaven, bored with the lack of adventure. As if in answer to his prayers, Heaven is invaded by soul-stealing pirates, the leader of which is someone Nightcrawler is very familiar with.

Back at the Jean Grey School, Firestar shows up for her first day as a member of the faculty and gets pulled into a mystery that will lead the X-Men back to their swashbuckling pal.

I’m always looking for a way to get into the X-Men books, and Amazing X-Men #1 provides a very accessible jumping on point for the return of the fan-favorite Nightcrawler. I will definitely be picking up the second issue.

4 out of 5 Bamfs

Want More? How About Jawsfest 4!

12/11/2013

by Matman

I love when people are so FANatical about something it becomes not only an obsession, but a deep passion. It doesn't matter if it's Jedi's or Jaws, we love our stuff. And no one loves sharks, blood and 'bigger boats' than my longtime friend Lou and his wife Yana.

'Lou and Yana's Jawsfest 4 - Revenge Of The Finatics' is their best and probably most personal of their 'fin' films. In the previous three (which are a riot and so much fun to watch), we are brought all over Amity Island and shown the sights and scenes made famous in the 'Jaws' films.

In 'Revenge Of The Finatics' we see more of the stuff behind the scenes and get to see Lou and Yana and their friends in their element; talking Jaws and networking with other finatics. Even if you're not into 'Jaws' you will appreciate the love, dedication and enthusiasm this couple have. They bring out the best in like minded people and celebrate big killer fish in a way that is contagious.

THE BAD NEWS! As you read this review, they may already be sold out of their initial printing of the DVD.

THE GOOD NEWS! As you read this review, Lou and Yana may already have more red ink and have a second order on the way!

So get out of the water right now, watch 'Jaws' and then 'Jaws II' and then check out this DVD. It will make the shark eating people on vacation experience that much more enjoyable.

To find out more about 'Jawsfest 4', just go to their Facebook home at https://www.facebook.com/jawsfestfilms.

<<Previous

Forward>>

Fan Film Fridays--Spider-Man: Eclipse

Review--Ash And The Army Of Darkness #1 (Dynamite)

The Five(ish) Doctors Celebrate '50'!

Review--Grabbers (2012)

Matman Hits 30,000 Comic Books!

Review--Black Sweater Massacre (The Reigning Monarchs)

Doctor Who Plush Toys!

Fan Film Fridays: 'Hell No--The Sensible Horror Film'

Review--Amazing X-Men #1 (Marvel)

Want More? How About Jawsfest 4!

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